Danmachi-Alternate
by Krikasu
Summary: Bell Cranel is well aware of his origin and his aim of becoming a hero to make his parents proud after their death by the Black dragon incident fifteen years ago. The story is similar to the canon story but with a different twist and turns with the life of Bell as an adult who is trained by his grandfather Zeus and is sent back to Orario for the revival of the legendary 'Argonaut'.
1. Episode 0

**OC introductions:-**

**Name:** Riogo Cranel

**Alias: **Argonaut

**Race: **Human

**Hair color: **Silver White

**Eye color: **Silver White

**Height: **175cm

**Affiliation: **Zeus Familia

**Occupation: **Adventurer

**Achieved floor: **floor58

**Personality and Appearance:-**

A kind-hearted and skilled swordsman, he wields a silver sword with a golden handle known as Excalibur, a Durandal type weapon. He is the captain of the strongest familia and is respected by everyone. His silver hair and eyes attract most of the females and thus is known as the Harem guy. His heroism is famous on the lands of Orario and hence he lives up to his alias 'Argonaut'.

**Ability and Magic:-**

Sword Master: Activates when the battle heats up. Activation results in the sword to glow with unbelievable power boost and the movement of the swordsman increases with agility and dexterity also result in glowing from silver eyes to green eyes.

Hyper Awareness: Body is able to act on its own when facing a dangerous situation.

Crystal: No chant magic which allows creating a crystalline material. Could be used for both Offence and Defence.

**Relation:-**

Crista Cranel (Wife)

Bell Cranel (Son)

Zeus (like a father)

**Name: **Crista Cranel

**Alias: **Fire Princess

**Race: **Human

**Hair color: **Crimson Red

**Eye color: **Ruby Red

**Height: **170cm

**Affiliation: **Zeus Familia

Hera Familia (Former)

**Occupation: **Adventurer

**Achieved floor: **floor58

**Personality and Appearance:-**

A kind and caring person, she wields two daggers and a rapier relatable with the color of her hair and eyes, the daggers were known as crimson night and a rapier was known as Bloodshedder, both of them are Durandal type weapon. The color of her hair and eyes along with the fire magic she uses is recognized as the pseudo-fire-spirit (False-fire-spirit). Her bright and fragile skin, the perfect figure to be known as a goddess of beauty herself attracted males as well as females. Like her appearance and her magic, her alias 'Fire Princess' suits perfectly.

**Ability and Magic:-**

Concurrent Chanting: A high-level technique involving casting magic while fighting or moving around. Its difficulty is likened to dealing with a bomb with both hands while fighting due to the chance of failing a chant or not being able to control their own magic power.

Mage: Mage improves the power of Crista's magic, widens effect range, and makes mind usage efficient. It also creates a crimson red colored magic circle under her when she uses magic.

Spirit Healing: Spirit Healing automatically begins regenerating Crista's mind at a low rate after using magic.

Fire magic: Crista is capable of manipulating fire. Her magic is described to be a Spirit's fire.

**Relation:-**

Riogo Cranel (Husband)

Bell Cranel (Son)

Zeus (like a father)

**Prologue**

I still remember, the day when the sun shone brightly as gold, I could feel its warmth under a giant tree. The light coming through between the gaps of a tree making the parts under the shadows as bright dots. Sitting on her lap I listened to the heroic stories she told with a smile on her bright face, like a burning white flame with complete pureness.

"So….do you like this story?" she asked me in a kind tone.

I turned around wearing a big smile "Yes…..I loved it mom.."

A man enters the scene, wielding a silver sword and silver plated armor, he smiled at us, "Come on, father Zeus is waiting for us."

"Okay dad, let's go mom."

I held one of my hand with my mom and the other with my dad as we walked to the direction of the familia house-hold.

I Bell Cranel, at the age of three was having a normal childhood like others. Despite being recognized as the son of the Heroes, I am also considered as the same level as the other citizens. I had my mother's eyes and my father's hair, this made me look like a baby rabbit having fun with his family. I mostly hang out with dad as he teaches me about the dungeon and the monsters created by it, he also teaches me to use the sword and studying your enemy. Not only from dad but mom also, she teaches me to use two daggers and give me lectures about magic and skills.

I was the happiest of all to get parents who were the hero of the citizens, but soon it turned to sadness. It all happened on the same day, when we reached to the familia house-hold, the vice-captain of the familia wanted to discuss the joint expedition to floor 59 with Hera familia. I was playing with my mom and grandpa Zeus, it was going good but suddenly the guild set up an emergency alarm.

"ATTENTION….THE DUNGEON IS SHOWING A DANGEROUS IRREGULARITY ON FLOOR 27, ALL THE FAMILIAS EXCEPT ZEUS AND HERA FAMILIA ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER THE DUNGEON. I REPEAT, ALL THE FAMILIAS EXCEPT ZEUS AND HERA ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER THE DUNGEON."

This alarm caused the whole Zeus and Hera familia to rush to the dungeon, my mother quickly changed to her adventuring gear and left me with grandpa. "Father please take care of him," she said while she was wearing her boots and checking her equipment. "Don't worry about him Crista, please be safe out their," grandpa said with a worried expression. She nodded and left but something didn't feel right. I started to get even more worried for my parents, but alas I could only wait for their return.

It's been an hour and they still didn't come back. I got even more worried and asked my grandpa, "I want to go to the dungeon," me still with a worried expression pleading to get into the dungeon but he denied, he promised my mom that he won't put me in danger as even if I had a falna I was only level one. I began to be restless, I couldn't hold myself to search for my parents so I ran towards the dungeon and grandpa had to chase after me to stop me. I was bursting through the middle floors, the dungeon didn't react at all, no monster spawned neither an irregular happening nor dust of monster and it was only red all the way up to floor 27.

After reaching the floor 27 which is now become a complete mess of a floor, I hid behind a rock and peeked but I shouldn't have peeked in the first place, I saw the bodies of the fallen members of both of the familias with some of the injured and some of them dead. My eyes widened after seeing that I wished I didn't saw, I stepped near them and the others who were watching me were keeping their head down with disappointment. Tears continuously flooded through my eyes after seeing my dead dad and mom near-death situation, "Bell…." she looked at me with an injured face and continued "you are not supposed to come here…"

I still cried and hugged my mom begging her to not to leave me but what happens can't be stopped. She just smiled and me and said, "Bell…..don't cry….you're a man…"

"B-But mom…..I don't want you to leave me…"

"Bell, one way or another….parents must let their children to live their lives on their own. This just happened quickly and….*cough*cough*"

"Please don't talk."

I still cried on her arms, grandpa finally reached the floor and was shocked to see the members injured and dead, he came closer to my mom and rested her in his arms and I backed off. My mother, still pulling herself together asked Zeus to promise her that he would train me and make me the strongest hero, she also asked him to give me a good environment to train and understand the nature. After grandpa promised her, she looked at me with a smile, "Bell….promise me…..you won't cry and you will get stronger than us."

"I….promise...mom..."

She peacefully closed her eyes and rested, now it's up to me to avenge their deaths. After we left the dungeon, it was found out that the Black dragon again tried to get back to surface. After this incident, both grandpa Zeus and godmother Hera decided to disband their familias. Grandpa took me away from Orario to the mountain area to understand more about the world and train myself with the monster which is spawned their, godmother was nowhere to be found so I assumed that she left and got back to heavens to be with the rest of her fallen children.

Now, it's been almost fifteen years after that incident. Every day I trained my ass off and kept on pushing past my limits. One day grandpa was surprised to see that I earned a rare skill called Liaris Freese which makes me grow even stronger if I have my brain fixed for something I desire the most, he hid it from me and sealed the skill for now. I am 18 years old now, grandpa finally decided to send me back to Orario and train in the dungeons, and also he gave me the knowledge of making a harem but I didn't mind it a lot. I waved off to him and left back to Orario.

Finally, now my adventure of being someone's true hero is about to begin.

**The armor wore by Bell's parents were the legendary armor. Reference from Danmachi Memoria Freese.**


	2. Episode 1

**Episode 1-Adventurer Bell Cranel**

A dungeon is a place for the birth of monsters. But sometimes, the dungeon gets mad at the adventurers for killing its children and collecting their heart which we call magic stones which are also the earning of an Adventurer. The dungeon sometimes tries to make the adventurers fell in its trap so that its beloved children's could devour them and for that, it shows some kind of happening which could be also called an **Irregularity**.

My dad told me, dungeon also takes the test of the adventurers and sees if they face it or not. Basically, the probability of these kinds of happenings or Irregularities mostly began from mid or deeper Floors.

So why?

Why? Why? WHY!?

"WHY THE HELL IS A GOD DAMN MINOTAUR DOING ON THE FIFTH FLOOR?!"

I'm being chased by the bull-headed man-beast, the Minotaur. I'm going to be devoured by a monster that my measly Level One attacks can't even scratch. Honestly, how is this possible, to even have an irregularity on damn Fifth Floor?

_**Few hours before the encounter...**_

_**Orario, the labyrinth city…**_

I finally came back, to the place where all of this happened. Now the only thing I had to do is quickly get into a Familia and grind excelia, get stronger to protect others. I still have grandpas engraved falna I can't rely on him to update my status as he is banned from entering to Orario, so he decided to seal my falna so that no other gods could notice it and the seal was placed with the complex spell. He did this so that he could ensure that I am doing good. 'Now time to find me a Familia.' I roamed here and there to get someone pick me for their Familia, but the gods there were just putting me as a non-combatant member who would only be allowed to do the housework for the Familia like cleaning, washing and all.

The nerve of those gods, how can they treat me like that? is it because I am a bit skinny, weak looking brat. I sat on the Floor with the support of a wall on my back holding my forehead and was about to give up but one stray goddess came to me, "Are you looking for a Familia?" she lends her hand to my reach and asked me with a smile.

"A-And you are?"

"I am Hestia, the goddess of Home and Heart."

"Eh?..."

Just by looking at her, I probably thought she was a young girl about to hit puberty. Her shiny jet-black hair falls down on the sides of her head to cover her ears but is also long enough to be tied into two extensive ponytails that reach down to her waist. Two black plain ribbons hold them together. Her round face and cheeks make her look very young, which is why I can't believe how much her boobs push up her clothes with her clear blue, orb-like eyes, and she has an aura like a fairy-tale character come to life.

"Uh…..are you really a goddess? You look like a little girl to me."

"Hey…..you are being rude child, you dare to make fun of a god," she puffed up and took her hand backcrossing it under her humongous boobs.

'Why is she wearing that kind of outfit it is too hard to look at her,' I was hardly looking with a light blush, "Why me?"

"Eh?...Uh...Well, you see."

I stared harder at her, she can't help but be honest to me.

"Well, the thing….I just came to the lower world and no one is interested in joining my Familia….So I thought..you might..*sigh*" she dropped her head and I was surprised for that sudden reaction.

A goddess who needed a Familia of her own, she looked poor and sad. I couldn't help but accept her offer, no it was beneficial for me as it would also train me to be the captain if my Familia grows up.

I lend my hand and the goddess was confused but she helped me to stand up, I then said I am ready to join your Familia and hearing that she started to jump with joy.

"Um...There is one request...could you fulfill it for me?"

"A-A request?...w-what is i-it?" Hestia started to stumble as she was worried that I might change my mind.

"Can I call you by your name?"

"Eh?"

"Well, I am in a habit to call the deities by their name…..So if you don't mind can I call you Hestia?"

"Yes sure, why not," she said it with a small blush and a big smile.

We then headed to the Familia base. First, we made our way out of the crowd, off of Main Street, and into a smaller back road. There are so many twists and turns back here I'm surprised I don't get lost more often.

As the noise of Main Street fades, we arrive at a dead end.

"…"

I crane my neck back to look up at an old, rundown church in this cul-de-sac. I don't think anyone has been here in years.

"Um….Hestia….why are we here?"

"Hehe…..this is our home child."

To think, this two-story building was built to be a place to worship the gods. Now it's not much more than ruin. There are pieces of walls missing. Well, actually, they're in piles on the ground where they fell. There's a hint of sadness about this place, left over from the people who stopped coming here who knows how many years ago.

A statue of a goddess smiles down on me from above the main door of the church. She's seen better days. Half of her face is missing, and chunks of rock from her body are gone. I've seen more complete Swiss cheese.

The inside looks half destroyed. As I step inside, my foot lands on a weed growing out of the broken tile Floor. Pieces of the ceiling are either gone or about to fall. On the bright side, this lets in a bit of sunlight. The sunbeams light up what's left of an altar at the back of the church.

We weave through the wreckage on the path where Hestia was taking me, heading toward a small room behind the altar. It was once a storage room and is still lined with empty shelves. But the shelf at the very back corner is actually a door to a stairwell. Hestia pulls it back and climbs down.

The stairway isn't that long, and there's still some light sneaking in from outside. We had no trouble opening the door. The space we share has one square part and one long part; it's the shape of a _P_ underground. The entrance is in the square, the door in the middle of the front wall, and two sofas face each other against the other two opposite walls.

"See, this is our home child."

"Bell…"

"Eh?..."

"It's Bell, Bell Cranel."

"Bell Cranel huh…..okay Bell, starting today you are my Familia. Now first take off your shirt and lay down here for the ritual."

"O-Okay."

I walk toward the bed as I pull off my undershirt. I look over my shoulder into the full-length mirror at the end of the room.

My topless, pale-skinned reflection with hair as white as Grampa's looks back at me. Hestia then started to imprint her **falna **on my back. Thankfully she didn't notice Zeus's falna. After she imprinted her falna, she was surprised to see that my stats were a bit high for a normal level one

**Bell Cranel**

**Level. 1**

**STR: H 198**

**END: H 155**

**DEX: G 201**

**AGI: F 388**

**MAG:I 0**

**SKILL **

**[]**

**MAGIC **

**[]**

"Um….Bell have you already been in another Familia?"

"Uh….yeah, outside Orario, a god gave me his blessings so that I could train myself to get stronger before I come here."

Nobody can lie to the gods, I just told half of the truth so that I could keep my secret of having Zeus' falna. Hestia didn't ask more question. Yes, finally got into one. I then left off to dungeon after saying bye to Hestia, she also sees me off with a smile.

I finally reached the guild. I asked someone for filling myself as an adventurer, the person who came to assist me with the document was named Eina Tulle, a receptionist that manages all dungeon activities.

Her long, pointed ears twitched as her transparent emerald eyes tore themselves away from the pages of the book she was currently reading. Her mid-length brown hair shone in the early afternoon sunlight. Despite her good looks, she was not quite as "perfect" as the elves. It was as if her beauty had been glued on, but a corner was sticking up. The guild uniform, black jacket and pants, suited her thin frame very well.

Known as the young Miss Congeniality within the guild, Eina was half human, half elf. She helped me fill up the form and after all the formalities I was happy that she was assigned as my advisor, she bought me the basic equipment for a beginner adventurer which had a light chest-plate and a dagger with some potions for which I do have to pay, I again greeted her and left off to the dungeon.

The dungeon is in a place where a big tower is built over it to prevent the monsters from coming out from it, the tower is called the Babel. It was originally the same size as the buildings but was intentionally destroyed when the first Gods came down to earth. Those Gods later rebuilt it as it currently stands all tall and high. Babel is owned by the Guild to watch and take care of the dungeon. The first twenty Floors are filled with Familia business, facilities, and money exchanges. The Hephaestus Familia has shops in Floors 4-8. Above that are living areas of the most prominent Gods in Orario, known as the Private Rooms.

Just like Babel dungeon also have some levels which are made after analyzing the Floors, they are classified as upper-Floors, middle-Floors and the lower or deeper-Floors.

The upper-Floors are ranged from 1st-12th Floor, middle-Floors raged from 13th-25th Floor and lower or deeper-Floor ranged from 26th Floor onwards.

For now, I am passing through 1st Floor, the walls are light blue colored, and most of the monsters that appear are Goblins or Kobolds. I had no problem in killing them so I decided to go even further.

Now I am in 5th Floor, the walls change to a light green color and the structure of the Dungeon begins to change. Stronger monsters such as Killer Ants appear and the monster birth time is faster. Everything was going good, I slew most of the monsters and took their magic stones, _Well these monsters are weak...can't I get some strong monster's?_ and thus that was my biggest mistake to even think about that, right after I thought that I heard heavy footsteps from one of the four junctions of the path, and then I saw it a bull-headed man-beast Minotaur which is supposed to be a level 2, It had a hard body which can't be cut down by the equipment I had. Even if I had skills to fight it I can't for now.

"Urrrroooooarrrrrrr!"

"Damn my luck, I didn't want this kind of monster to show up now!"

"Uughunnnnn!"

"Daaahhh!"

The Minotaur's hoof comes crashing down behind me.

Ha-ha! It missed! Eh? When did that crack get there?

Not the most graceful face-plant… Here comes that hoof again! Roll! Now!

"Hoo-hooo…!"

"Waaahhhhhhhh!"

All I can do now is scoot my sorry butt back. My back hits the wall. Now there really is nowhere to run. I sprinted all that way, hall after hall, just to get trapped in a wide, square room. And now I'm cornered. _Tsk...is this the end for me? No….not yet Bell. You promised your mother that you will get strong, you will face any danger head-on, come on, think, think, there must be a way out._

The Minotaur's nose is so close, its putrid breath pounding my skin. I look up at its ridiculously muscular body. It has to be at least twice my size. What's worse, it's gloating over me with a clumsy, broken smile. I tried to think to again outrun it but it was too late.

The next moment, a line shoots across the creature's torso.

"Huh?"

"Uoohhhh?"

Sounds like he's just as confused as I am…

The line doesn't stop there. It travels through thick pectoral muscles, across the raised leg, up to the thigh, to the shoulders, and finally out the Minotaur's neck. Now a silver light is shining through…

And so it was that a monster I couldn't scratch was cut into slabs of meat.

"Guu…? GWWAAAAAAAAAaaaaaa!"

Its dying roar of surprise and pain echoes through the chamber.

The beast's body falls to pieces along the dissection incisions, as if the seams of an overstuffed doll all burst at once. Its dark red "stuffing" sprays out like a fountain. Time stands still as a tsunami of beast blood washes over me.

"Are you… okay?"

That's when I see a young girl, emerge from behind what's left of the bull monster.

Her thin body is decorated with light blue clothing.

Even in armor, she radiates feminine beauty.

She stands tall, despite her petite frame. Her bulging twins are packed tightly into a breastplate engraved with a silver emblem. The same emblem graces her wrists and blood-soaked saber. She points the glistening blade downward, the blood dripping harmlessly to the floor.

The blond hair hanging down to her waist shines so brightly, I could swear it's made of real gold.

Atop a body that any woman would call delicate perches the face of a sweet, young girl. She looks down upon me with golden eyes. A female warrior with golden eyes and hair, clad in light blue raiment.

Seeing her reminded me of my mother who was as pretty as her, judging by her body she might be a year or two younger than me. She lends her hand and asked again "Are you... okay?"

I came back to my senses, I was blushing after seeing her beauty but it was covered with the Minotaurs blood, I got up with her support. _Disgusting Minotaur's blood _never mind that I had to take bath first, I looked at her and was about to thank her but then a beast-man appeared after her.

"Hey, Aiz did you killed the last minotaur?"

He has gray colored hair, along with amber eyes, as well as a sleek tail. He also has a blue tattoo on the left side of his face and a muscular physique.

"Yes, I did Bete."

The beast-man was called Bete, a werewolf and the one he called Aiz was the blonde girl. The werewolf took a look at me and started to laugh,

"Pft-hahaha….. what's with the tomato guy here?"

"T-Tomato guy!?"

"It's rude Bete," the blonde girl said with a plane face.

"Whatever, you must be a newbie…huh? Where did he go?... Don't tell me he is scared of our princess now….pft-hahahaha."

He kept on laughing and Aiz puffed her cheeks with only one thought, _Am I scary?_

I immediately left the place to grab my magic stones while the big guy was making fun of me, ya I know it's rude of me to leave without thanking her but I couldn't stand to hear that guy's laugh and moreover I don't want to stay while this disgusting blood is all over me.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyy! Eina!"

"Oh Bel- Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

_**Inside guild hall, private room**_

"You know, Bell, after getting covered in blood, you should at least take a shower before coming in here…"

"Sorry about that… but it would be a pain to go back home and come here."

"_***sigh***_ Honestly, why are you like this…"

I can only hang my head and listen as she speaks. We are in a small room set up in the lobby of Guild headquarters. Sitting in chairs across from each other, there's only a table between us.

I'm clean at this point, but that doesn't stop her from making an overly dramatic sigh.

"I can't believe you walked through the city as such a revolting mess! It makes me question your sanity."

"Y-Yeah I know…._***sigh* **_sorry."

Hearing someone as pretty as Eina say something that harsh so directly cuts really deep. She cracks a painful smile and gently pushes my nose with her finger. "Be careful next time, okay?" she asks, giving me a big smile. I nod with a small smile on my face.

"So what made you rush here instead of going back to your home?"

"Well, about that…"

I told her everything about what had just happened, my face getting redder with every word. I start with how I decided to go from the lower second floor of the dungeon, my usual route, down to the lower fifth and then about how I encountered a Minotaur the moment I arrived. Even about trying to run away and getting cornered. Then being saved from certain death by the blonde hair and golden-eyed girl named Aiz.

Eina is nice enough to lend me her ears, but her face gets more and more frightening with each passing detail.

"Aaahh, why don't you ever listen to me?! You are alone, _solo_, in the Dungeon! You can't just suddenly go that deep without any preparation! How many times have I told you that adventurers shouldn't go on adventures?!"

" _***sigh***_ Yes ma'am…"

—**Adventurers shouldn't go on adventures—**

That's Eina's motto. It may sound like one heck of a contradiction, but she's really saying, "Get some insurance and safety first."

Seems like newbies like me really need to take her words to heart. I heard most adventurers who die in the dungeon are newbies, too. No one could have guessed that an encounter with a category Level Two monster like the Minotaur would have happened on the lower fifth floor of the Dungeon.

Everyone knows that Minotaurs only show up on the lower fifteenth floor or lower. I can hear Eina's words now: "No telling what will happen in a dungeon."

But seriously, if it weren't for that girl, I'd be dead right about now. Finally, I told her how I tried to say "thank you" but ended up to get out of there because of this Minotaur's disgusting blood smell and that wolf-guy.

"Bell!... That's rude of you!"

"I-I know Eina, I should've stayed and thanked her. But could you please tell me who this Aiz person is?"

"Eh….you don't know about Aiz Wallenstein?"

I nodded sideways and Eina on seeing this was left with her mouth open. _Why is that person something special?_

Eina then told me everything about her but not in detail as she had to follow the order of guild of not exposing any other adventurer's detail to anyone, so she only told me what everyone knew about her.

Full Name: Aiz Wallenstein. She is the female warrior at the core of _Loki Familia_. There is no question that her swordsmanship is on par with the strongest of all adventurers. She once wiped out a horde of Level Five monsters by herself, earning her the nickname "kenki," or sword princess. Some go as far as to call her "senki," which sounds like "Lady of Combat."

I heard from her that the gods call her Aiz "maji musou," or "Aiz the Unequaled." Males who try to put the moves on her are slain, utterly destroyed. She just recently passed the thousand-kill mark.

"Wow… is she that amazing.." I touched my lip with my index finger with a surprised face and was wondering about her, as a slight blush appeared on my face Eina continued, "Haha… What's this? Bell, do you have a thing for Ms. Wallenstein?

"Huh…..No not at all," I quickly replied and stood up "Besides, I have some other things to look up for."

Eina also stood up and continued to hear me out,

"It's my fault, I wasn't prepared (_ making a fist _) I have to get stronger. ( _while glancing at her _) Right now I only have a mindset to get stronger."

Eina blinks her eyes two, three times and says while giving a smile "Yup, I guess you are right."

She then clears her throat and gets back to her business as an adviser.

"Are you going to get some money?"

"… Well, yeah. I slew a lot of monsters before meeting the Minotaur, so that's something."

"Then let's go to the Exchange. I'll walk you there."

The Exchange is within headquarters itself. We go there, and I pick up my pay for today. I trade in some magic stone shards I got for killing mostly goblins and kobolds. Everything comes out to about 7,500 vals worth of money.

Let's see… Weapon repairs, food for me and Hestia... a chance for new items for me…

"Bell?"

"Oh… yes? What is it?"

Eina had walked with me almost out the door, but she stopped just before leaving headquarters.

She looks like she has something on her mind, and then just says it: "You should also consider many things in life, you are a man now right so it's okay to look for things other than getting stronger."

I could only smile at her, I am a teen and she is right I should relax and look for other things but for now, I can't distract my mind so I could only reply: "I will keep that in mind Eina. Thank you." I left off.

I was passing by the shops, it was almost night and the clock was about to hit six. While passing through the shops I saw a stall where ribbons were sold. _It's my first income... I have 7,500 vals now, I would be a bad guy if I didn't give her something._

Finally, I reached back home.

"Hestia I'm home!"

As my voice echoes off the basement walls, the smell of home wafts into my nose. Hestia sprawled out on a purple sofa just inside the door. She looks up from her book and jumps to her feet.

"Hey, hey, welcome back! So how did it go?"

"Hehe… guess what I slew a ton of goblins and kobolds, and was surfing through the fifth floor and killed a group up killer ants," I told her with a smile but she seemed to be disappointed.

"Is that all you did?"

"Well duh… what were you expecting?"

"I thought you could've done more good than that."

"Oh please, I could've done only if I wasn't chased by a god damn Minotaur."

"Eh?"

I explained the whole story to her but seems like she was more irritated at the part when I mentioned Aiz.

Well after explaining everything to her I asked her to update my status, that Minotaur did make me run all over the place so my agility must've skyrocketed through the status. I took off my undershirt and Hestia began to run her fingers on my back.

**Bell Cranel**

**Level. 1**

**STR: H 198 - G 202**

**END: H 155 - H 156**

**DEX: G 201 - G 205**

**AGI: F 388 - D 488**

**MAG:I 0**

**SKILL **

**[LIARIS FREESE]**

**Rapid Growth**

**Continued desire results in the continued growth**

**Stronger desire results in stronger growth**

**MAGIC **

**[]**

Hestia herself was surprised while handing my status to me, she kept silence while I was left with my mouth open.

"Um… Hestia, is my status correct?"

"Y-Yes it is, why do you ask?"

"Look, it's unusual to have a direct increment in my agility. It went up by 100 points? Was I running that much?" I was still scratching my head while she still kept herself silent.

"And seems like I got a new skill…"

"Oh, my hand jus-"

"L-Li-ar-is Fr-ee-se?"

"Wh-what, w-wait you know how to read the Tenkai language?" she was surprised as she clearly wrote its name in Tenkai which was a bit broken or say outlined.

"Uh… yeah, my previous god taught me how to read the language of Tenkai.

I read it clearly and scratched my head, Hestia after giving out a big sigh told me that I had earned this skill a long time ago but according to her it was sealed by my previous god that is grandpa Zeus. _Grandpa, why didn't you told me about this? _the only question in my mind which was broken by Hestia's interruption, "I think he didn't want you to know, if you knew about this then you would've probably blab it off to others."

Yes, she is right, when I was a kid I was an easy one to get any info out from me. The skill I acquired is the rarest of all.

"Bell… since you know about this, I would recommend you not to blab it out. Otherwise ( _head downs _) other gods would try to steal you away from me and use you as a toy. I… I don't want it so please…"

"Heh… Like they got a lot of nerve to use me as their plaything."

"Huh?"

"Hestia… I promise you, no matter what happens I won't leave you alone."

"..."

"I am an adult and I know what I must say and what I mustn't say."

"..."

"Here…" I took a pouch from my pocket and gave it to her.

"W-What is this?"

"Open up..hehe."

As she opened up the pouch, she found two blue ribbons with silver bells on them. She then looked at me with her round blue eyes in confusion.

"This… is the promissory gift… from me to you Hestia…"

I gave her a big smile. Seeing this she became happy and hugged me, well the hud gave me a direct hit on my face by her big boobs. We then sat together to eat Jagamaru-kun or potato-croquettes for dinner. Well, the first day of Orario went well, somehow. I still have a long way to go, so for now,

"Goodnight Hestia."

"Goodnight Bell."


	3. Episode 2

**Episode 2-The Miach Familia**

".… nn."

_Hestia Familia_'s base, the hidden room under an old church.

The room is underground, so naturally, there are no morning sunbeams or crowing roosters to wake me up. It's just force of habit to get up at a certain time.

I used to have to get up early to train in the mountains back home in the countryside. I developed a very precise body clock right around my tummy.

… _5:00 AM sharp._

Just to be sure, I lift my head to check the clock on the wall.

While it's dim in here, it's not completely dark thanks to a magic stone lamp on the ceiling. My eyes don't even have to adjust.

Human engineers figured out how to make magic stone lamps. The gods call it "cutting-edge technology." It was the discovery of the century. Even the gods acknowledged the influence of human engineering techniques. These things are amazing!

Well, the moment I opened my eyes I found Hestia cuddling over me. _What the? when did this happen?_

I can't help it but stare at her as she was sleeping like a happy little innocent girl.

Wait for a second, what are these soft melons on my chest? Don't tell me, it's _them_?

I move fast. I slide out a little and flip her onto the sofa, trading places with her.

_Phew, I thought I was a goner. _I was burning red, I then distracted myself and brushed my teeth and get readied to head out.

_Well, that was an eventful way to wake up…_

I sigh to myself as the brisk morning air chills my skin.

Main Street in the morning is very different from how it is in the afternoon. The streets feel so much wider at sunrise—no people, no noise. Every one of the two-story shops has their shutters closed. The shops look like a long stone wall all lined up in a row.

The eastern sky is getting brighter. I'm not alone on the streets, either. A few prums are setting up their store here, and a group of dwarves are talking in a cluster over there. By the looks of them, they're adventurers like me.

I might have a lot in common with them. I got up, got ready to prowl the Dungeon, left Hestia behind, and am now on Main Street.

"Ah, rats… I didn't eat anything…"

_Grroooowlll._ My stomach is talking to me. I forgot to eat because of the commotion caused on the early morning so I guess all I can do is trudge toward the Dungeon and rub my tummy to calm it down.

Nope.. there is nothing in there, just hunger.

At this rate, I won't be able to slay anything in the Dungeon. Can't concentrate…

If I don't get something to eat, I'll starve before I even get there, or might as well die because of hunger. _Okay, Bell calm down and think, what's open at this time? Maybe I can find a nice morsel…_

"…?!"

Something's behind me!

Behind my right shoulder!

_Nothing…?_ It's unusual, I can sense danger, I swear I felt the eyes of a killer on my back… Something _saw_ me.

Were they sizing me up? Whoever this is, they're not normal, and they aren't holding anything back.

There's someone on the café terrace setting up tables, two animal people standing on that corner over there, and a woman looking down from the roof of that shop… My eyes are jumping back and forth to all the people I can find. Maybe I was just imagining things, but seriously my body is well trained to get vibes of danger.

Everything looks normal for early morning on Main Street. There isn't even a suspicious shadow around.

_Am I going crazy? Is the black hole in my gut playing tricks on me? No it's not, I know there's definitely something around here…_

"Um, excuse me…"

"!"

I spin my neck around and saw a girl, a human like me, is standing there.

She wears a white blouse with a light green knee-length skirt. On top of that is a salon apron.

Her simple blue-gray hair is tied into a tight bun on the back of her head, but a ponytail sticks out from the center of it.

Her eyes, the same color as her hair, look innocent and rather cute. But something about her gave me chills run down my spines like crazy.

"Uh…. Yes, miss? What is it?" I calmly replied while facing her.

"Here, you dropped this."

A bluish-purple crystal sits in her outstretched palm.

"A magic stone? Huh?"

I crane my neck around to look at the pouch strapped to my lower back. I use this fist-sized pouch to hold all the magic stones I collect from monsters in the Dungeon.

A drawstring usually keeps it wrapped up pretty tight. _Is it lose? I thought I exchanged all of the stones I collected yesterday at headquarters. Did I miss one? No, I didn't, so how?_

Again I felt chills and my whole body on alert. _What is wrong with me, why am I guarding up in front of an innocent girl?_

For the first time, my body refuses to believe her, but I took the stone and decided to find by myself who she is.

"Thank you for going out of your way!"

"Oh, no. Don't mention it."

"So Mr. Adventurer are you already heading to the Dungeon at this hour?"

"Yep, I thought I'd get to work a bit early tod-"

_Grroooowlll_

My stomach spoke before I could, then all that was left was me giving her an awkward smile. I hear her laugh a little.

"Oh… could you please stop laughing..."

"Ha-ha. Sorry about that. Are you hungry?"

"… Yeah."

"So, you didn't have any breakfast this morning?"

"Yes because of some certain event that I don't wanna discuss," I dropped my shoulders and relaxed while giving out a sigh.

A little light flick on in her eyes. She suddenly turns and runs quickly to the café, her boots clopping on the Main Street pavement. She disappears into a side door and returns almost as quickly as she left.

She has a charming little basket clutched in her arms. Bread and cheese are sticking up from the brim.

"If this is okay… I mean, the café isn't open yet, so all I can offer is my morning rations…"

"Eh? No, no, no. That's your breakfast! I can't accept it!"

She looks a little bit shy and bites her lip.

_W-What the, now my mind is going crazy, this girl would be a big problem if not stopped._

"No, It's okay… really."

"I can't leave you hungry like this. It would make me sad as a person to do that. So please, Mr. Adventurer, accept it, for me."

_Well, I have to otherwise she won't leave me…_

"O-Okay fine… I will take it."

She gave out a smile but that smile felt like a mischievous one she continued, "Since I'm making this sacrifice for you. So in exchange for the bread and cheese this morning…"

"In exchange…?"

"You have to eat dinner tonight at the bar I work at."

"…"

_I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! She was triggering me for this from the very start, thanks to you stomach now she is gonna rip me off my income…_

"Ok, deal…"

I dropped my shoulder and replied with a dull voice, I didn't have another choice and looking at her, she's laughing like we are old buddies.

"You don't play fair, do you…?"

"Don't know what you are trying to say."

I gave out a big sigh, she continued

"I'll be waiting!"

She laughs for me as I leave.

"Hey… what's your name?"

"I am Syr Flover and you."

"Bell, Bell Cranel."

"Well, see you later Mr. Bell," she finished with a smile.

_Well, what a great start of my day, first Hestia cuddling onto me and second Syr Flover, a cute younger girl planning to rip off my money… gee why am I this nice? I better watch out next time._

I stopped by and ate the bread which was amazingly delicious, now I am full and it's time to grind excelia. I also thought how would I do in the dungeon since I got a skill which helps me to grow stronger quickly.

I finally reached the dungeon. This time I was able to go up to the 6th floor, there were some cases where I nearly died but it was worth it. _If Eina knew about this she is gonna give me one hell of a long lecture…_

"You worthless piece of shit… get over here…"

"Hm?..."

As I was surfing through the floor I heard a person who seemed to be angry over someone. I know that I must not meddle in others business but still, I was curious, I headed towards the direction.

When I reached, I saw two male adventurers cornering a female **chienthrope**. She had long brown hair, purple eyes, dog ears, and a tail. When I noticed her right arm, I was surprised to see that the arm is a fake silver arm which she can move just like a regular arm.

"Come on… you didn't even did your job perfectly, how could ya expect to give you our magic stones huh?" one of the male adventurers yelled at the chienthrope.

"Didn't even do my job perfectly, I healed your asses hundreds of times and these are my magic stones. I saved your asses with my archery, took risks to keep the two of you safe and you are treating me like I didn't do work?" she replied with a plain angry face.

"What didcha say?" the second male adventurer said with a grim face.

"I am not giving up on my magic stones," the chienthrope grasped her fingers on a small bag filled with magic stones.

The situation looks like big trouble, the girl looks like she needs some help, I can't help myself so I entered and acted like I was her friend,

"Oh hey, fancy seeing you here. What are you doing?" a casual act like buddies usually do.

The three looked at me with a confused face, the first man asked me,

"Are ya this chienthrope's friend?"

"Y-Ya why is something wrong?"

"Look explain this friend of yours to give us our stones back," the second man finished.

"W-Wait, why wasting your time on that?"

"Huh?"

"I got a good deal for you," I pulled out my magic stones and made up a story, "These stones, are worth even more so, whatcha say."

"How much does it worth?"

"Well, how much would it worth for a floor 10 monster?"

The two adventurers were surprised to hear 'FLOOR 10!', they started to drool,

"Fine we will take it," the greedy man took the stones and left off with his partner.

I think they believed that easily thanks to my little bit of muscular looking body. The chienthrope steps up near me.

"Um...I am sorry, because of me you had to lose you valuable magic stones," said with her head bowed.

"No need to take it seriously, I just fooled them off, the stones were from the goblins and kobolds," I replied to her while scratching my head.

"Hm… why did you help me in the first place?"

"I just felt like doing so, never mind what was with them?"

She told me about how they started and came to the sixth floor but were hunted down by a bunch of killer ants and dark shadows, she had to keep on healing them and saving their asses all the way, when they finally escaped this happened.

"Well, you won't believe what I say."

"Huh?... No, I do believe," I said with a confident face, she is telling the truth as I could clearly see the scratches and dust on her clothes, she must've worked hard to save their butts.

"Oh, by the way, I am Bell Cranel."

"Naaza, Naaza Erisuis. I am a doctor affiliated to Miach Faction."

So this chienthrope named Naaza belongs to Miach Familia, she thanked me again.

"This is not enough though," she said while looking at the magic stones.

"Hm?..."

"Um… I know we just met but can you do me a favor?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Will you help me to get more magic stones, it would be a great help," she pleaded with a plain face.

"Hm… Okay, but in exchange, you have to trade me some of your potions, deal?..."

"Deal," she smiled with her tail wagging and replied quickly.

The party with a healer was a good decision, by this, I also grinded more excelia and got magic stones for her. We kept on doing this until Naaza was satisfied.

Finally, we got enough magic stones and cashed it, in total we hitted 15,000 vals form which we divided 7,500 each.

"Wow, I didn't expect this much of vals," Naaza with barely any surprised expression.

"Well, for me it's just like yesterday," I gave out a sigh.

"You are pretty strong, are you a level two?"

"No, I am level one."

As I replied, Naaza was surprised, it could be seen as her ears and tail become stiff with the same plain look but a bit widened eyes.

"A level one? I never saw one who could fight like that. You fought like a level two back there."

"Well, I was trained before I came to Orario. It's all thanks to that haha."

We became acquainted and chatted along the way to the Miach Familia as she promised me to give some of the potions made by her.

Well her familia place was nothing that special, it was built in a dark and dump area. She opens the wooden double doors a crack and went in, I peek inside. My eyes look up and down the rows of shelves, filled with different kind of potions placed with a price tag. The shop wasn't much of a fancy and attractive one.

Moreover, the shop is located off of West Main so this may be only visible to few people coming around here otherwise they would go to Dian Cecht Familia Pharmacy, which is building made of white stone that also includes their home and it is located on North-West of Orario where people can clearly find it.

A person came behind the door greeting Naaza, the person was the medic god Miach.

"Welcome back Naaza, and seems like you again pulled a customer," he said with a smile.

_Pulled me, does she forcefully bring customers here? _I gave a look which made Naaza a bit angry, she replied to Miach,

"I didn't pull him, he helped me out with earning magic stones so in exchange I promised him to give some of my potions. That's all."

"But, weren't you recruited by two male adventurers?" the god puts up a question with his finger below his chin.

Naaza then told Miach of what happened in the dungeon. After hearing her out the god bowed to me, "Thanks for your help, I am grateful. How could I repay you?"

"No need to bow Miach," I said it quickly which made the god and his child surprised.

"Oh, oops my bad hehe. (_ scratching my head _) You see I got a habit of calling gods by their name."

"Why is that so," Naaza asked eagerly.

"Well, you see, gods have sealed their divine powers and they are equal to us in the lower world. So why to keep them in pedestrial, why not let them also experience how it feels to be called by their name with a friendly feeling."

The two after hearing my reply were unable to react, the god thought in his mind 'This child is different.'

After that, Miach shared his problem with me even Naaza tried to stop him from including me. Seems like they are in depth for some other Familia. I raised my head up and promised them that I too will help them by buying their potions and any other medical services. When I mentioned Hestia, he was surprised to see that she finally descended from heavens and was able to make a Familia. From Miach I came to know that Hestia and he were close friends in Tenkai.

It was almost sunset. Before I was about to leave Miach stopped me and lend his hand holding some potions.

"Here Bell, take these too."

"Hm...It's okay Miach, you gave me enough potions for my work."

"No, it's not for that."

"So why are these for?"

"I just recently made some test samples for healing and stamina recovery, if you want then you can buy it later on."

"Oh well then, thanks."

I greeted them and left. After my leave, the god asked Naaza with a smile,

"This time you didn't stop me from giving the sample?"

"Because he is a man of words," said Naaza with a smile.

Now it's time to go to Hostess of Fertility because of the deal I made to Syr. I still blame my stomach for that. The Hostess of Fertility is a famous bar in Orario, mostly adventurers come here and hangout telling their stories and enjoying their time in the bar. The bar has good reviews about its holder, Mia Grand who was a former level 6 of Freya Familia. The maids working their help each other with adventurers and give them good services. I was standing in front of the gate, there she came greeting me with a smile.

"Glad you were able to come here."

"We had a deal… that's why."

"Oh… really?"

"Well never mind that, I heard that this place is pretty nice with its services," I shoved it off.

"Yes, you heard it right. We give our customers good services," she said while holding a plate near her chest.

"Alright, let's see what kind of feast you offer me," I acted cool. She then accompanied me near Mia's workspace free table and said to wait for my order of pasta. A few minutes later I got my order, as I calculated how much vals it would cost including drinks and pasta Mama-Mia gave me a lobster which was the special.

"Um... I didn't order this Ms. Mia."

"Oh... come now, you skinny boy must put some meat on you to get stronger. And moreover, you are one of Syr's friend, she would feel bad to see if you are not enjoying the meal."

"_***sigh* **_Let's see, how much a special cost?...huh?" I craned my head at the menu posted on the wall, "800 VALS! THAT'S CRAZY!"

_Well, I shouldn't be surprised, after all that girl did brought me here to rip off my money._ I Let a big sigh out.

"You enjoying our service?" Syr came with a small giggle.

"Ya, I. love. it," I said with an annoyed face, she just laughed it off and told me to enjoy the meal for today.

Well, the food tastes pretty good, I also noticed some adventurers having fun chatting and telling stories about what happened in their whole day.

"You see, I like to work here," Syr broke the silence between us.

"Hm?.."

"Here, while treating adventurers, we also learn something about their lives. Not only that we also get a chance to interact with them."

She gave a smile while looking at them, and this time it was natural. I can't help but blush a little.

"Nya-Here comes our regulars nya-"

A maid with brown hair and eyes with cat ears and a tail of the same color announced while dancing her way back in. This person with cat-like features is also known as **Cat-person **or **Cat-people**.

After her announcement, a group of people entered the bar. The first one to enter was a red-haired goddess along with a high-elf and dwarf by their sides, a blonde pallum showing in between them and behind him came amazons and another elf with a beastman. _Hm… that guy seems familiar. _After all of them entered, she came, the girl with blonde hair and eyes, it was the sword princess Aiz Wallenstein.

"… Ooho!"

"They royalty or somethin'?"

"'Course not, moron. Look at the emblems."

"… Meh."

Other customers just figured out that this troop belongs to _Loki Familia_. A new tone of whispers spreads throughout the bar.

"So that's them." "… They're the "giant-killer _Familia_, eh?" "Aren't they first-class all-stars?!" "Who's the kenki I've heard so much about?"

Waves of awe echo through all of their voices. Some of them whistle at Ms. Wallenstein and other female members of the group as they walk past.

I was left with my mouth wide open, a red blush wore itself on my face. She was pretty for which I can't stop to look at her with my hands crossed under my chin. For a second she looked at me but I avert my gaze, _guess she was feeling my gaze over her._

The group was lively like others. I finally finished my meal and paid for it, when I was readying myself to leave I heard a drunken wolf laughing out loud at top of his lungs. That made me curious and heard him out.

"Pft-Hahahaha…. ( _places the glass to table _) Hey Aiz why doncha tell them about that story."

"What story?" she replied with confusion.

"You know the one! About those Minotaurs, that got away! Remember, you finished off the last one on the lower fifth! You know: tomato boy!"

When I heard that, my eyes were out of its socket, I kept on listening.

"Are you talking about the group of Minotaurs that attacked us on the lower seventeenth floor, and they ran away when we fought back?" one of the amazon raised the question.

"Yeah, yeah! That one! By some miracle they ran up! We tore after them! Already damn tired, too!"

My ears kept on listening with my whole body frozen at one point.

"Yeah, and there! That 'adventurer'! Damn newbie guy!"

… Me.

"Got himself cornered like a lil' bunny! Shaking like one, too! Poor thing was about to explode!"

"Oh? What happened to the boy? Was he okay?" the red-haired goddess asked the wolf.

"Aiz here carved up the Minotaur at the last second, ain't that right?" the other amazon replies.

"The kid took the full blast of that stinky cow's blood, got soaked! So, tomato boy! Gya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ahhh—Ow, my ribs!"

"Woah…" the goddess reacts.

"Aiz, please tell me you weren't trying to do that! I'm begging you!" the wolf said while he was still laughing.

"… No, I wasn't."

The princess was nervous.

"And get this! Tomato boy! Disappears right after she helped him to get up on his legs... Gya-ha-ha-ha! Our princess saves him, and he just buggers off!"

"… Hm."

"GYA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Absolutely priceless! Aizee scares away a newbie! You are sooo awesome!"

"Ha-ha-ha… I'm sorry, Aiz, but I can't take this anymore!"

"…"

"Ooooh, don' make them scary eyes! It ruins yer cute face!"

The entire _Loki Familia_ table erupts with laughter.

_Alright, my biggest reason to leave was to wash away that disgusting Minotaurs blood. Secondly, this guy is pissing me off._

I am a kind of guy with a short temper, I was angry and wanted to give that drunken wolf a piece of mind. Without wasting any time and still controlling my fists I was going to their table with a glare. The laugh still continued until the high elf interrupts him.

"It's weak adventurers like him who give us a bad name. Just give it up already!"

"Shut your mouth already, Bete! (_ the group silenced _) It was our mistake that let the Minotaurs escape! That boy had nothing to do with it! And stop drinking! Learn some respect!"

"Oh-oh! You elves and your pride! But yeah, what's in it for you to protect that piece of shit? Saying it's our fault, you're lying to yourself! Just to keep your pride! Trash is trash! What's wrong with calling it what it is?"

"Hey, hey! That's enough! Bete, Reveria, relax! You're killing the mood!" the goddess said while taking a sip from the drink.

"Oh…. is that so wolfie?"

"!?..."

The whole group then gave their attention to me, the weight of my glares was sensed by the pallum causing his thumb to throb.

"Uh….wait a minute, ya look familiar."

I stood briskly with my arms crossed with deathly glares.

"It's you…" the princess broke the silence. Now everyone in the pub was looking at us.

"Oh yeah… Ya are that tomato guy."

"Ex...cuse..me..?"

"Look Aiz the coward is back, hahaha."

I shifted my gaze from that wolf to the princess, she looked guilty.

"It's okay, I am not scared of the princess who saved me and I don't even blame you guys to let out that Minotaur."

"Huh? So why did ya disappear after she saved you?" the wolf asked while leaning on the table.

"I just hated being bathed by the disgusting Minotaurs blood, so I left without even thanking her properly."

"It's rude of me to do such kind of thing to a respected adventurer, so I am sorry and thank you for saving my life sword princess," I bowed after saying it.

"I see, we also apologize to give you the trouble with Minotaur on the fifth floor," The high-elf bowed.

"No need for this miss elf. I am grateful to be saved."

As it was going good and I almost got back my cool, the wolf made it worse.

"So, were ya tryin to be a hero back then? First of all, newbies should be good babies and start out from first floor."

"Oh ya, well I completed up to fourth floor so I decided to get to the fifth floor."

"Huh…"

"And miraculously my stupid wish to fight stronger monster turned into a disaster."

"Pft-hahahah."

My anger level increased as we continued.

"No one would've expected a goddamn Minotaur to show up on the damn fifth floor!"

"I guess you were the one who let that thing onto me."

My comment made the people question my sanity, including the Loki Familia members who were surprised to see me hard and bold with a Level 5 adventurer. The wolf continued after a few minutes,

"So becoming a man huh?" looks at Aiz, "Aiz! Choose! As a female, which male wags your tail? Which male makes you hot? Him or Me?"

"..."

"… Bete, are you drunk?" the prum questions, "Do you know what you are saying?"

"… I have no reason to answer that question, especially to you, Bete," the princess clearly replied to the drunken wolf.

"You're absurd…" said the high-elf.

"Quiet, hag!… Well then, what if this piece of trash came up to you and said he liked you no he loves you, would you take him?… Hm."

"Sorry to break it to you, but I have no such feelings like that for her," the crowd in the Hostess paid attention to every single conversation.

"Shut it, just a hypothetical question… Aiz answer me he comes up to you and said he loves you, would you take him?"

Aiz looked embarrassed as he put up a guy like me with her. I am almost losing my mind. My fists were about to go out of my control.

"Of course you wouldn't! Why would a guy who's so weak, feeble, and all-around nauseating have the right to even stand next to you? There's no way he'd measure up!"

"A weak guy could never land Aiz Wallenstein!"

_That's it, I am gonna give him a piece of MY MIND!_

"Bastard…"

"Huh? What did'cha say?"

"I said bastard."

Now the matter was worsened, seems like a fight is about to happen. All eyes locked on me and the wolf. He stands up from his seat and pushes me back while trying to walk over me.

"Say what, ya got a lot of nerve to say this to a first ranker."

"Heh… right now you are just being rowdy."

"Say what!?"

"You are representing your familia and right now you just raised an embarrassing question."

The rest of the familia members also stood up. Our verbal fight continued.

"Eh… a weakling like you, teaching me, the great Vanargand?" the wolf said with his pride, "Listen up, weaklings like you are meant to stay low on grounds," said directly top on my face.

I did the same and pushed him back, "And bastards like you should fall from a height and die already."

"What did ya-"

"I don't give a damn if you are Level 5, I don't give a shit that you are stronger than me and I DON'T EVEN GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR GODDAMN FAMILIA'S STATUS!"

"!?..."

I am completely overtaken by my anger, my mouth is saying on its own, I can't control my tongue.

"What, ya thin a weakling like you could run your mouth on a famous Familia? Seems like I have to teach a weakling his-"

"YES, I AM A WEAKLING!"

"!?..."

"I hate it, I am weak and I hate it. But everyone starts from being weak and become strong."

"..."

"Say, were you strong from the moment you were born?… no."

"..."

"Did you get stronger after getting into a Familia?... no."

"...!?"

"Did you get stronger BY ANY INTAKE OF SUPER-HUMAN POTION OR FOOD?... NO!"

I pushed my way through the wolf and cornered him.

"Listen up wolf… I will be stronger, stronger than you've ever imagined."

"I will work my ass of, train hundreds and two hundreds of times and one day, I will show you…"

I let go of him and was heading to the entrance since my mind had finally calmed down I apologized to swear about their familia, after I left the wolf was tied with ropes to stop his berserk drunk mod to attack me. At the entrance, Aiz came and again apologized for what he has done and I did the same, she then asked me that what made you that strong to say what you wanted. My simple reply with a smile "Because I am weak." I see off the princess and left off to my home.


	4. Episode 3

**Episode 3- Monsterphilia**

**Bell Cranel**

**Level 1**

**STR: G 202 - F 300**

**END: H 156 - H 198**

**DEX: G 205 - G 260**

**AGI: D 488 - C 510**

**MAG: I 0**

**SKILL **

**(LIARIS FREESE)**

**Rapid Growth**

**Continued desire results in continued growth**

**Stronger desire results in stronger growth**

**MAGIC **

**()**

"Here is your update."

Hestia handed me over my status, she added "Thanks to your skill, look you are making big leaps than others," she said with a smile but she noticed that I was upset.

"Oh… come on don't let that bother you, even I hate Loki."

"Hm..."

"Instead I am proud to see you raise your voice in front of that wolf, not many adventurers do that."

I told Hestia the whole story of the day, she was happy to hear about Miach and was enjoying at the part where I bad mouthed Loki Familia because of my anger.

"I am not upset for that Hestia."

"So, why are you upset?"

I was sitting on the bed beside Hestia,

"I think, I am not doing adventure at all."

"Huh?"

"I am just encountering with small monsters, I almost feel like something is missing."

"..."

"Hestia, I want to get stronger," I said while looking at her eyes.

"Ok, you will but first lets sleep."

This time Hestia slept on the bed and I slept on the couch. Hestia was barely able to sleep and promised herself 'Just like you promised to not leave me alone, I promise you Bell that I as your goddess will push you and always find a way to support you.'

A new day arrives and as usual I left to grind excelia in the dungeon.

* * *

The scenario in the Twilight Manor was a bit tensed. Aiz was resting herself on the bench in front of waterfall, she was bothered because of the incident which happened last night. Seeing her upset, her friend Amazon sister's and an elf were worried about her, the amazon sister's name was Tiona Hiryute and Tione Hiryute and both of them are twin sisters, the elf with orange hair and blue eyes is named Lefiya Virdis.

"Aiz is acting weird today, you think this might be because of the incident happened last night? Think she is pissed because of Bete?" Tiona asked the two girls.

"I highly doubt it," Tione stands with her arms crossed, "Well that guy did make it worse yesterday."

"What is that wolf up to now?" Tiona asked with a questioned face.

"Well, Loki made him remember what he did last night and now is is pouting and shut himself in his room."

"Serves him right," Tiona relaxed her arms, "But I must say, that white-haired guy did show his guts to humiliate a first ranker… Wait, is Aiz troubled because of that guy?"

"You think so Ms. Tiona," the elf with her wide eyes.

"No, if its the boy then she wouldn't be troubled by him, instead she would be happy because he is the only outsider who has get a good on Bete and moreover he is Level one only. I like his guts to raise his voice against the overconfident wolf," Tione finished.

"Well, I think we have to leave the matter to mother."

They saw Riveria approaching Aiz to discuss about her trouble meanwhile the three girls decided to take Aiz out for a change. Now the mother of the familia sat beside her and asked Aiz and she told her problem.

"I see, so it's that boy."

"For some reason, I feel like we are similar in some cases."

"_***sigh* **_( _stands up _) If you want to talk to him then go on, he is not scared of you and is not even making you feel guilt about the Minotaur incident."

"R-Really? Then I wish I could meet him again..."

Riveria left with one thought in mind 'For the first time, Aiz is worried for someone else. Whoever this boy is, he did brought some change in her.'

Just then the three girls approached Aiz and requested her to spend some time with them and go shopping. Aiz agreed and so, the four girls left for the shopping tour.

* * *

"What's with my luck… my dagger broke… _***sigh* **_, Now I have to get a new weapon..."

I had to leave the dungeon as the idea of taking on stronger monsters was a really bad idea, I almost died back their. Well taking a big risk to get to floor 10 without preparation is equal to the worst nightmare. _I better hide it from Eina. _

For now I cashed my magic stones and was able to get 50,000 vals, for me a great improvement.

"Well with this, I would be able to afford buying a sword and master my sword skills."

Come to think of it, I never explored Orario that well, guess I would take a break after all. I hurried back to my base and kept my armor, Hestia was nowhere to be found and a note was left on the table. The note was written by Hestia saying that she is going to attend the party held by one of her friends so it would take her a day or two to return home. Welp can't help it, let's explore Orario.

"!?"

As I left and was on the main streets, I felt a gaze fall upon me. A gaze filled with love and affection and with a desire to get me badly. I felt it coming from top of babel. _This is weird? Is someone that eager to get me for themselves?_

I also felt the gaze last night but wasn't able to get from where they were coming. Whatever it was it did give me chills. I must stay on guard.

While my mind was all over the place, I didn't focus on the path and bumped into someone.

"Oops, I am so-... eh?"

"Sword Princess?"

I was surprised to see her wearing different outfit, it was a white one with gold lining. _Crap she is damn cute! _And again a blush came on my face. The princess, taking her time to recollect herself said: "Oh, it's you."

It was an awkward situation, she seemed to be sad for some reason and I assumed that she must me thinking about yesterday night.

"Um... I am sorry."

"Why are you apologising?" she asked with tilted face.

"Well, you seem to be thinking about yesterday. Sorry I wasn't on my right mind."

"N-No, no need to apologise, instead I don't even care about him that much at that time. He didn't even have a right to say that."

Her reply made me relieved, after that, the second question in my mind was 'How did she ended up here?'. As I asked her, she said that she was separated from the rest of the group and was finding them and while she was finding them we ran into each other.

_Grrrowl…_

The sound coming from stomach could be heard clearly and it's coming from the princess, a pink blush was visible on her face. _Is she hungry? _

There was a potato-croquettes stand near us, her gaze averted to the potato-croquettes and drooled. She wanted to buy but for some reason she isn't able to buy.

_**Bell POV**_

_Maybe she forgot her wallet._

_**Aiz POV**_

_I totally forgot that Lefiya took my wallet… I am even more hungry… Oh I wish I could buy the new flavor._

_All right Bell, looks like you've to go for it now…_

I went to the shop while the princess was still standing and drooling.

"Um… what is the best flavor sir?"

"Oh, the spicy potato-croquette are the new once," he suggested.

"How much does one cost?"

"Since it is a new one in menu, it would be 250 vals"

"Okay make it two please."

"Two? ( _notices the sword princess drooling _) Oh… here you go sir," he gives a creepy smile.

"Please don't get the wrong idea…"

"Oh don't worry about it sir."

I then went back to where the princess was still drooling like a little child who wants to eat something badly.

"Here… this is yours," I handed one potato-croquette to her.

"Eh?"

"Stop drooling, it's my treat but yeah you owe me one now."

"T-Thanks," she accepted the food and started to eat, "Wow, this is good."

"Is that so?" I also took a bite from it, she was right, it is damn awesome. Now I get it why this is a famous food item of Orario, otherwise there was nothing like this back then. Also she was eating it like there is nothing to worry about anything just like a little kid would eat.

Crap, I was going to look around Orario and also wanted to find a weapons shop, but I don't even have an idea of where to look and explore. _Wait… I might as well take help from her…_

"Ahem, sword princess-"

"Aiz…"

"Hm…"

"My friends call me Aiz."

"Um… but I am not a friend of yours."

"Um… it's also a bit awkward to point me out by my title so…"

"Alright then, call me Bell."

"Hm?"

"I am Bell Cranel, since you've consider me as a 'friend' of yours, you can call me Bell."

"Bell…"

"Okay then since our introductions are done, Aiz I have a favor to ask of you."

"Hm… what is it?"

"If you could, will you be my guide to explore Orario?"

"Eh…"

"Well I don't know about this place that much, and I also want to check out some interesting places like weapon shops, stalls and more."

"..."

_What's with her long face? Did she heard me right? _After a few seconds she nodded and helped me to explore Orario, meanwhile her friends were still searching for her.

* * *

"Now could you show me the weapons shop?"

"Hm… okay."

We were able to explore some east and north-east part of Orario as it was getting late and moreover I wanted a new weapon so that I could grind some vals and excelia. She took me to a smithing familia which was lead by Goibniu the smithing god. Luckily the blacksmith of the familia lend me the best durable long sword from the remaining vals that I grinded.

"Phew~ thanks Aiz you were a big help."

"No, it's a pleasure to help one of my friends," she said with a little embarrassment.

"Well, lets keep this as a secret."

"W-Why?"

"Well, if we have a friendly relationship then our deities are gonna forcefully break it."

"What are you trying to say?" said with a tilted head.

"You see Hestia, my god hates Loki so this might be a conflict," I finished while scratching my cheeks.

"...okay… it will be between us," she replied with a smile.

I quickly left the princess and headed towards the dungeon to earn some excelia.

_**Aiz POV**_

_For the first time, I had never felt this happy in my life other than prowling in the dungeon. But now seeing you I also want to go their. Thank you… for making me experience this feeling… Bell._

"HEYYYYYYYY AAAAAAAAAAIZ!" an amazon yelled from afar seeing the blonde girl. They kept their hands on their knees and breathed heavily.

"We were finding you forever, where were you gone all this time?" Tiona asked while panting harder.

"Just roamed for a change," she replied with a smile. Seeing her smile made the group confused as she never smiled like this.

"Well whatever, it's getting late so let's head back home," Tione finished.

"Um…"

"What is it Ms. Aiz?"

"Nothing, let's go back."

* * *

Night.

A bright moon floats above the curtain of darkness that has fallen over the land. The moonlit forest is alive with the sounds of owls and rustling leaves.

These sounds ride the breeze and spread out over a vast plain to merge with chirping birds and swishing grasses. They flow together in a chorus of nature until the sounds hit one sudden change in the landscape.

A very big wall.

Big, thick, and sturdy, the edge of the city may as well be a castle wall.

The protective wall is constructed completely out of stone. The curtain of night is pushed aside as light spreads throughout the city. The voices of nature outside the wall are drowned out by the din of the city's nightlife.

The Labyrinth City, Orario.

Orario is one of the few cities that have existed since ancient times, even before the arrival of the gods. However, it is the only "labyrinth" city.

The wall forms a perfect circle, encasing the metropolis in stone. Relatively tall towers and buildings stick up just inside the edges of the wall. Shorter buildings are toward the center. This stone behemoth is lit by hundreds of magic stone lamps. It's as if a sea of stars came down from the sky to live in a stone castle.

One tower in the very center of Orario looks tall enough to pierce the clouds.

The tallest tower in the city, its imposing shadow strikes awe into the citizenry. Visitors come from far and wide to see the tower and bask in its glory.

The tower is directly over the entrance to the Dungeon below. Known as "Babel," its main purpose is to be a "lid." With Babel at its core, the image of Orario has spread far and wide around the world.

More adventurers call Orario home than any other city or country. The Dungeon is where all of the ancestors of monsters scattered around the world were born. Many people refer to the Dungeon as one of the world's three great mysteries. A colossal "unknown" sleeps within the deepest part of the Dungeon. This "unknown" draws many fearless adventurers into its depths.

Of course, most of these adventurers are motivated by greed. A place that spawns infinite monsters and drop items provides an infinite source of wealth. For those adventurers on a quest for glory, slaying particularly violent and dangerous beasts is the fastest way to become immortalized as a hero in tales of adventure. Orario was given the name "Labyrinth City" on a whim by the gods who lived there. They thought it made the city sound more interesting. Soon, Orario became known far and wide. Adventurers had nothing to do with it.

The excitement of the "unknown," the lure of wealth, a chance to attain glory and above all notoriety, draws in more and more people every year.

Among the newcomers, there may even be a few who come here merely for fun and a fated meeting.

"The most passionate city in the world."

That is what it's called.

"Ah! Look over there! It's the head of the dirt-poor _Familia_, Takemikazuchi! Oii! Hey, ooii!—heh-heh."

"Ah! Isn't that the guy who has so little money every year his face is caving in, Takemikazuchi? Oii! Hey, ooii!—hee-hee-hee."

"Quiet, you worthless deities!"

This was inevitable.

These were the gods and goddesses who came to Gekai looking for entertainment. They came to the passionate city Orario seeking the "unknown" even more than the adventurers. That was them to a _T_.

They were gathering in a specific part of the city.

Gods didn't normally get together in such high numbers.

"Yo!"

"Eeeeh! Long time! How long has it been?"

"'Bout four hundred years, I reckon."

"Ohoh! That long? You've changed quiet a lot since then!"

"Sorry to change the subject on you, but is the Celebration really here?"

One overly extravagant building stood over the group of overly extravagant gods assembling in the street.

Standing among the lights of Orario, this thing was just plain weird. It was so out of place, it was almost mysterious.

The building was a massive, thirty-meter, human-shaped statue with an elephant's head sitting cross-legged in the middle of the city block. The base of the building was surrounded by a stone wall.

The statue sat proudly, puffing out its chest. It was famous for inspiring a sense of wonder and uneasiness within anyone who saw it. Magic stone lamps lit up the statue from many angles. The elephant stood out against the black night sky.

It might have come as no surprise, but this building had a history.

It was built by the handsome, dark-skinned god Ganesha. Who knew what he was thinking when he burned through his _Familia_'s savings to build this monstrosity.

This statue, Aiam Ganesha, was the home base of _Ganesha Familia_.

Even the members of his _Familia_ didn't like it. Most of them teared up a bit as they went in and out, thinking how their hard work had gone into paying for this thing. The icing on the cake? The entrance to the building was in the crotch of the statue.

"What's Ganesha doing?"

"Ganesha really goes all out!"

The group of extraordinarily lavish people filed into the building through the crotch, laughing all the way.

Every one of these "people" was a god or goddess.

They had come for Ganesha's "Celebration of the Gods."

A Celebration of the Gods was basically a large party put on by a god for other gods living on Gekai. There were no rules about who hosted and who attended. The Celebration was hosted by a god who wanted to throw a party and was attended by gods who wanted to come. It was all done on a whim.

"Everyone! Thank you for coming today! I am Ganesha! I am overjoyed at the attendance of this Celebration! I love you all! I do have one small announcement to make: The yearly festival put on by my _Familia_ is only three days away! Please encourage your _Familias_ to attend!"

The great hall was only lightly decorated, completely different from the lavish exterior of the building.

Ganesha, wearing an elephant mask and dressed to match his statue, greeted his guests in a booming voice from the top of a stage in the middle of the hall. The gods in attendance by and large ignored his greeting and continued talking among themselves.

The party was set up to be a standing buffet. Tables with white tablecloths lined the great hall. An array of fresh food filled the hall with a variety of mouthwatering smells. Soft echoes from the shoes of both the attendees and the staff thumped from all directions. A band sat behind the stage, waiting for the signal to play dance music.

Almost all of the deities in Orario were in attendance tonight.

Invitations to the Celebration had been disturbed by the host's _Familia_. The number of guests was determined by their resources.

_Ganesha Familia_ was very prominent in Orario, so he was able to send an invitation to every single god and goddess within the city wall.

Hestia included.

"Hey! Mr. Waiter! Bring me a stool! Quickly!

"Y-yes!"

Hestia was busy raiding the food tables under the din of conversing gods when she summoned a member of _Ganesha Familia_.

She was not tall enough to reach a particularly delicious-looking dish in the middle of a table.

_Mine! Mine! Mine!_

"…"

Her arms flew around from dish to dish as she gathered as much food as she could onto her plate.

Unable to say anything, the waiter just watched her in action.

Hestia had no plans of slowing down—it was a buffet, and she was going to take full advantage of it. _Hestia Familia_ was among the poorest of the poor _Familias_. She was most likely the bottom of the barrel of all the gods in attendance. But Hestia didn't mind. She had no problem working so that Bell had enough energy to work in the Dungeon. Working in shops and doing odd jobs was just part of her life now.

However, she was the only deity there not wearing extravagant clothing. She was wearing her usual garb but had tried her best to make her clothes look more formal. It didn't fool anyone.

"Hey, isn't that Loli Big Boobs?"

"Wow, she's still alive?"

"I've seen her. She's working part-time in the northern south block. The children were patting her head."

"That's our Loli Lady!"

Of course, Hestia stuck out like a sore thumb. Shoveling food into her mouth and wearing ordinary clothes, she attracted a lot of attention.

Hestia knew they were making fun of her, but she decided to ignore everything and keep her mouth shut. At least until she found more good food.

"Just what do you think you're doing…?"

"… mmhnngg… mm!"

A very tired voice hit her from the side.

Spinning around with a mouthful of pastries, Hestia saw a goddess with flaming red hair and wearing a dark crimson dress standing next to her.

Her face was thin with a sharp chin, showing her strong will. In fact, even the golden earrings she was wearing could not compete with her sheer beauty.

However, Hestia couldn't help but notice black skin covering half of the goddess's face over her right eye.

A bandage covered most of it. She stared down at Hestia with her left eye. It was wide and looked shocked.

Hestia gulped down the last of the food in her mouth.

"Hephaistos!"

"I'm happy to see you, too, Hestia. I'm glad you are well… I'd be happier if you wore something a little more appropriate."

Hephaistos shook her head and rolled her eye. The magic stone lamps on the ceiling shone down upon the one-eyed goddess. Her waist-length hair sparkled as if it were woven with sugar.

Hestia took a moment to admire Hephaistos's beautiful red hair before going up to her with a big smile on her face.

"I'm glad I came! I was right to come."

"What? I'm only going to say this once: I'm not lending you one val."

"How rude!"

Hephaistos glared at her "friend" as she snapped a warning.

She was the goddess who had looked after Hestia before she met Bell, the one who had kicked Hestia out of her _Familia_'s base. Their relationship was still a little tense.

While they had been friends for a long time, Hephaistos had lost her patience with Hestia because she hadn't formed her own _Familia_, hadn't worked, and had become a burden.

However, even after evicting her, the needy goddess would always come back asking for money. Whether it was "I can't find a job" or "I can't find a room that keeps the rain out," Hestia always had a sad story to tell before asking for help. She'd pushed Hephaistos as far as she could.

Hephaistos had a serious problem on her hands. She couldn't leave her friend out on the streets with no money, but she also couldn't keep helping her with every little thing.

In the end, she gave Hestia the room under the church and found her a part-time job. The only thing Hestia did by herself was induct Bell into her _Familia_.

She acted mature and independent when she was around Bell. But on her own, she was a lazy goddess who couldn't get anything done on her own.

"Do I look like a goddess who would do that?! Sure, I needed your help in the past, but thanks to you, I'm doing fine on my own! I don't need to eat from anyone else's plate anymore!"

"Weren't you doing that just a second ago?"

"T-this food will just be left over… If it's just going to be thrown away, I should at least put it to good use, yes?"

"Ho-ho! That's a great way to put it. I'm so happy you've changed, my tears of happiness just won't stop."

"Gyuuuu…"

Hephaistos scoffed through her nose at Hestia's pained face.

_Click-click, click-click._ High-heeled shoes echoed as another goddess approached them.

"Hee-hee… Still the best of friends, I see."

"Eh… F-Freya?"

Hestia turned around to see emerge from another group of deities a goddess so beautiful that she made the others look normal by comparison. The floor was her runway. Everyone else was there to admire her.

Her skin was the color of fresh fallen snow and just as smooth. Freya's arms and legs glided through the air as if she were swimming, her perfume getting the attention of other gods as she drifted past. Their eyes fell on her luscious derriere, the cloth holding it in place stretched way too thin. Her gold-trimmed, full-length gown was open in the front. With only one layer of fabric over each breast, she proudly showed off her full shape. Her cleavage was bright pink, like she was too warm.

She had the perfect body; better proportions did not exist.

Long eyelashes surrounded calm eyes that radiated confidence.

Her beauty transcended beauty, to the point that no one else even came close.

The Goddess of Beauty gently swished her silver hair as she glided up to the other two goddesses.

"Why are you here…?"

"Saw you standing here. Thought I'd say something like 'It's been ages' and invite you to walk around the great hall. Something like that."

"D-don't say it like that, Hephaistos…"

"Am I disturbing you, Hestia?" a smiling Freya asked the shorter goddess as she stepped into their conversation.

"It's not that…" Hestia fought back an irritated twitch in her lips. "I just don't like you very much."

"Hee-hee-hee. That's what I like about you."

_Oh please._ Hestia crossed her arms and looked away.

Being the Goddess of Beauty, Freya was a lady among women and always carried herself as such. She was always a head above the rest.

Freya had the ability to make others stop and wonder at her charm and grace. Even whimsical gods fell under her spell. The children on Gekai became enslaved by her smile alone.

However, Hestia couldn't stand Freya's personality, or other gods like her.

She did her best to avoid them.

"Hey! Fei-Fei! Freya—! Itty Bitty!

"Then again, you're not so bad compared to a few others I know…"

"My, my, aren't you tense."

Freya's smile widened as she turned to face the newcomer, who was flailing her arms and half jogging up to the group.

She had vermillion-red eyes and hair. She'd changed her hairstyle from a simple short ponytail to a stylish inward spiral just for the Celebration. She was sporting a sleek black dress.

She might not have looked like much standing next to Freya, but her face was on par with Hestia and Hephaistos in terms of charm.

"Yo! Loki."

"Why the hell are you here…?!"

"Wassamatta? Am I not allowed to greet ya without a reason? It's a Celebration, no? It'd be rude not to say hi. Get with the program, Itty Bitty."

"…!…!"

"That's quite the scary face, Hestia."

Loki was two heads taller than she; all Hestia could do was turn a cold shoulder.

She had nothing to say to Loki.

Loki was the enemy.

"It really has been a long time, Loki. Didn't think I'd see Freya or Hestia today, either. The Celebration has been full of surprises."

"Yeah, it's been forever… Been forever for most everyone here tonight, though."

Loki's eyes were so long and thin that they usually looked like lines in the middle of her face. But she smiled as she opened them just enough to get a good look at Freya.

One of _Ganesha Familia_'s waiters arrived with drinks. He froze on the spot when Freya turned to take a glass. Smiling at the dumbstruck man, she took a long sip.

"Have you really not met up anywhere?"

"We did see each other the other day. Wasn't much of a chat, though."

"You're one to talk. I made myself open to conversation, not my fault."

"Hmm. Oh, Loki, I hear about your _Familia_ all the time. Things must be going well?"

"Waaa! To hear someone with a _Familia_ as good as yours say that… I must be moving up in the world… But yeah, my children are my pride 'n' joy. Mind if I brag?"

A tinge of pink covered Loki's face as she shyly scratched her head. Loki hid her feelings from the members of her _Familia_, but that was more difficult here.

Hestia had been listening to the conversation and thought this would be the perfect time to gather some information.

"Hey, Loki. I have a question for you about someone in your _Familia_, about Aiz Wallenstein"

"Oh! The kenki! I would like to listen in, if you don't mind."

"What's this? Itty Bitty has a question for me? Someone look to the sky! Is it Armageddon? Ragnarok? Did Hell just freeze over?"

Hestia clenched her teeth. _I'm gonna tear this bitch in half!_

"… Here it is. Does the kenki have any interest to be in a relationship?" Hestia asked with curiosity since Bell talked high about her which also made her jealous.

"Moron, she's my favorite. I ain't giving her to anyone, ya hear? If anyone else tries to put a hand on her, I'll mount their head on my bedroom wall."

"Tsk."

"Strange time for ya to _tsk_ at me."

Hestia got the information she was after. Aiz Wallenstein was being fiercely guarded by Loki.

She felt the same way about Bell. If only Aiz had someone special she wanted to protect… An evil smirk popped up on her lips.

Hephaistos stood by, watching the conversation unfold. Sensing the tension rising, she jumped in to change the subject.

"I know this is a little late, but it feels strange to see you in a dress, Loki. Don't you usually wear men's clothes?"

"Hee-hee, about that. A little bird told me a certain Itty Bitty was gettin' ready to go to a party…"

Hestia glared at her. Loki didn't seem to care. She bent over so she could talk directly into Hestia's face.

"Heard she was too poor to wear a dress, thought I'd laugh at her."

_You bbbbbiiiitttttttcccccchhhhhhhh!_

Hestia locked eyes with Loki, her face getting redder and redder. She might explode at any moment.

It was always like this. They hadn't known each other very long, maybe a hundred years. However, whenever Loki saw Hestia, she had an undeniable urge to tease her… She would do anything she could to make a joke at Hestia's expense and would go out of her way to do so.

The reason was quite simple: Hestia had what she didn't.

It was all because of the two lumps on Hestia's chest.

"Ha-ha! Nice one! To make me laugh by making fun of your complex in front of everyone! Loki, you're a comedic genius!"

"Wha'd ya mean?"

"Oh, sorry. Not comedic, you're a genius at digging holes. Like the grave you are standing in!"

Now it was Loki's turn to flame up. The goddesses scowled at each other, their faces getting redder with each breath.

Loki's black dress was very low cut with no shoulders. It was almost sad how little shape she had, other than her quivering rib cage.

"So it begins…," muttered an arms crossed Hephaistos as her eye went from one goddess to the other.

Freya held her glass of fruit wine as she looked on with a smile. The fireworks were about to start.

The two goddesses stood with their well-above-average busts bulging from their elegant dresses on the sidelines.

"How many men have fallen off the cliff of despair that is your flat chest? Ha-ha! See what I did there?"

"Not funny at all, you hagggggg!"

"Kiyaaaaaaa!"

Loki lunged at Hestia, her eyes leaking tears.

Getting a good grip on Hestia's cheeks, Loki pulled as hard as she could.

Her face expanded out like taffy, soft and squishy.

Hestia tried to fight back, but her short arms couldn't even come close to grabbing Loki. She futilely swatted the air, her cheeks shiny with tears.

"Oh, what have we here?"

"Looks like Loli Big Tits against Loki No Bits…!"

"Ten elixirs say that Loki walks away frustrated!"

"All of my star chips say that I'll be the one to comfort her!"

"Make a real bet, moron!"

More and more gods came to watch the catfight unfolding in the great hall.

Hephaistos's head drooped past her shoulders. She was already fed up with Hestia and Loki, now there was an audience to this brawl.

Loki was shaking Hestia's entire body with her death grip on the smaller goddess's fluffy cheeks. Left, right, up, down, she shook Hestia in all directions.

Shaking, shaking, and more shaking.

"… hee… hee… I'm thinkin' ya've had enough for today…"

_She's twitching all over!_

Sad that she couldn't finish the job, Loki dropped Hestia to the floor and turned her back.

Loki didn't even glance at the girl as she collapsed to the floor, just walked away. Loki's body twitched as she started to make her way across the room.

It was not a victory lap.

"Hmph… Don't be looking so pathetic next time, loser. Tuck your tail and run!"

"I'll do ya in next time, ya hear me? Next time!"

Loki bolted for the door, leaving a trail of tears in her wake.

"Just as I thought…" A murmur spread through the crowd of gods who had come to witness the fight. With the show over, they went back to their own conversations and drifted elsewhere.

"Loki's really rounded out…"

"Rounded out? She still looks like a little kid…"

Hephaistos could only raise an eyebrow at Freya's comment.

Freya perked up the tips of her mouth as she ran her fingers through her silver hair.

"Before coming here, gods used to fight one another to the death for fun. This is a lot cuter. Not even dangerous."

"Well, yes. That's true. You've known Loki for a long time, right?"

"Very much so, about as long as the two of you."

Hephaistos helped a wobbly Hestia to her feet.

"We're not as close as we once were," said Hephaistos with a weak smile.

"Looks like Loki's taken a liking to the children. Maybe that's why she's changed."

"I hate to say it, but she has that in common with me."

"Ohh? Didn't you say 'I don't look at the children like that' not too long ago? Did that new boy, Bell, change that?"

"Hee-hee, maybe so. He's a really good boy. He's wasted on me."

"If I remember right, he's a white-haired, red-eyed human boy, yes? You came and told me right after you started your _Familia._ I was shocked, really."

Freya's ears twitched as she heard the news.

She set her empty glass on the table and swished her hair.

"I bid you Farewell."

"What, already? Do you have somewhere to be, Freya?"

"I got the information I came here for, so there's no point in staying."

"… You didn't ask anyone anything today?"

Freya and Hephaistos had been together since the start of the Celebration. Hephaistos was confused about her friend's sudden departure and tilted her head.

Freya ignored her and instead cast her eyes on Hestia. Her smile was still there but was now somewhat different from before.

Hestia blinked a few times as Freya's aura changed.

"… And I've gotten bored of all the men here."

_Don't you dare!_

"…"

"…"

She gave a nod as a simple good-bye and disappeared into the crowd.

The remaining goddesses watched her leave before looking at one another. They exchanged an awkward laugh and a shrug.

"Freya really is the Goddess of Beauty… no respect."

"She's in control of love and desire. Someone's bound to want her help…"

"She has a _Familia_. She just doesn't see what is right under her nose. To think she might become a rival… makes me appreciate the children that much more!"

"She could recruit new members just by smiling…"

Hephaistos let out a deep breath and scratched the bandage covering her right eye.

It was a habit she'd picked up. Whenever she wasn't satisfied or couldn't accept something, her hand just went there on its own.

Hestia let out a small "hmm" through her nose, watching Hephaistos closely.

"Anyway, what are you going to do now? I'm going to walk around, talk to a few more people. Are you going home?"

A light snapped on in Hestia's brain. Her shoulders jumped when she realized she had almost forgotten something very important.

"You could stick around for a while? Have a drink or two?"

"Um… yeah… well…"

Hephaistos's expression changed when she saw Hestia start fidgeting. She'd seen that many times before.

Ignoring the blast of suspicion bursting out from under Hephaistos's flaming red hair, Hestia made up her mind. She cleared her throat.

"I… um, have a favor to ask you."

"…"

Hephaistos's left eye narrowed, sharp as a dagger.

The carefree Hephaistos was gone in an instant. She was engulfed in a much more serious aura.

It was the same one she'd had when flat-out stating that she wouldn't be lending any money.

"You ask now, after what you said earlier? Think back—what did you say?"

"Umm… What was it again?"

" 'I don't need to eat from anyone else's plate' ring a bell?"

Hestia smiled and nodded, not arguing the point. She had said that, after all.

Hephaistos looked at her as though she had just climbed out of a toilet. While Hestia wanted to take back her earlier statement, she clenched her jaw and waited out the awkward silence.

This was the reason Hestia had come to the Celebration in the first place. She might lose a friend for it, but she had to try.

"… Okay, I'll play your game. What. Is. Your. Request?"

Hephaistos stared down at the short goddess, her red hair and eye on the verge of bursting into flames.

Hephaistos was known as the Goddess of the Forge when she resided in Tenkai, the upper world. The _Familia_ she created on Gekai didn't rely on the income of adventurers in Orario to survive.

Even still, there was not a single adventurer in Orario who didn't know the name _Hephaistos_.

She had created a brand.

Her _Familia_ was home to many specialists capable of creating weapons so strong that even a hundred others wouldn't measure up. These smiths forged high-quality weapons known around the world.

Hestia had come here today to directly ask the president of _Hephaistos Familia_ for a favor. She took a deep breath and said in the strongest voice she could muster:

"I would like you to make a weapon for Bell… a member of my _Familia_."

* * *

As I slew most of the monsters all the way from eight floor, I finally came halfway through lower Floor One. There is only one entrance and exit, so I see a few on my way home.

_Look at their armor! It's amazing! That elfess, hers is so sleek and poised. And that dwarf, his armor looks like a mobile fortress. Wish if I had something cool like that rather than my crappy little "outfit."_

Ah, almost there.

A long, wide tunnel connects the upper part of the Dungeon with the outside world. Many people call it the Beginning Road. There is a large hole in the ceiling at the head of the road.

Unfortunately, I have to climb ten meters of a spiral staircase to get out of here. The hole's diameter is about ten meters as well, just one giant tube.

I joined countless groups of adventurers as they climb the winding silver staircase. After the last few steps, everything changes. The walls look man-made; even the smell is refreshing.

This is the basement of the white tower, Babel.

The room is like a giant wheel resting on its side, but with no spokes. Seriously, thousands of adventurers could be in here and still have room to breathe.

The walls are a mix of blue and white. They're dotted with stone plaques inscribed with names. Probably adventurers from a time gone by.

There are many long, thick pillars scattered all around. I can't count them all, too many. A grand mural covers the ceiling of the chamber from end to end. It is the most subtle and soothing picture of the sky I have ever seen.

I'm perfectly safe from this point on. I can feel the adrenaline leaving my body.

… _Huh? What's that? All the adventurers and supporters are clearing a path… What's behind them? Isn't that a cargo box…?_

It's very large; several people could fit inside. It's on wheels with a long handle wrapping around the front. There's another one! A whole row of them!

Aren't they used when groups go on "expeditions" to the lower floors?

I suppose they would be handy to carry food and supplies. It takes a long time to come back up.

"!?"

_Did that one just move?! I heard it!_

The adrenaline's coming back…

_Okay, calm down. Let's watch it, see if I'm just hearing things…_

_It moved again! Something inside is alive and trying to get out. Should I go take a peek?_

_Wait… What if…?_

_The cargo box looks more like a cage. Now why would there be a moving cage? Unless…_

_There's a monster inside it?_

I just hear a soft growl coming from within the box. It has to be a monster.

Is it okay for a monster to be… here?!

The Guild manages this tower. They control the lid of the Dungeon. In ancient times, the monsters would emerge almost every day—I'm sure that caused a lot of problems! So this tower was built to keep them down there. It's our guard tower.

Nowadays, adventurers have Falna, so we go and hunt them. On the other hand, they can still come at us in waves. I've heard that the Guild is very strict about the tower, their base. They do many things to keep us safe.

So they would never allow anyone to bring a monster out of the Dungeon.

Monsters should not be in here, ever.

Here comes another cargo box, coming up the spiral stairs! This is insane! What do I do? What do we do?

"They doing that again this year?"

"Monsterphilia, yep."

"Is there a point to it? I'm surprised people haven't gotten bored."

"Yearly freak show… Pointless."

"_Ganesha Familia_ puts a lot into it. Even the Guild goes along with this, every single year."

"Sounds just like Ganesha, doesn't it?"

All these voices in the crowd. They're not frightened… they're bored?

_Monsterphilia?… what is that?_

Since its only been a day or two for me in Orario, I didn't know what this Monsterphilia is. All of the people pulling the cargo boxes are wearing an emblem with an elephant's head. Looks like I'm not the only one interested—everyone's eyes are on them.

_Wait a minute… Isn't that Eina?_

Mid-length brown hair, pointy ears…

Yep, that's my boss standing over there. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

She looks really serious. Ah, another Guild worker. I guess they're talking about where these monsters need to go?

She must be on the job.

She's even got paperwork in her hand. I'd better leave her alone.

If that guy I overheard was right, the Guild is in charge of these cargo boxes.

The fact that Guild workers like Eina are here proves that something is going on, but it's under control.

There are so many things I want to ask her, but I'll wait for another chance.

_She'll be angry at me if I get in the way._

Don't really want to ask anyone else around here, though… They'll just laugh at me for not knowing.

I should just go. I can get answers later.

Besides, I probably smell horrible. My clothes are still soaked with sweat.

With one last glance in Eina's direction, I go up the stairs and to the showers.

* * *

"Thank you for your hard work today."

A Guild receptionist saw me off as I left.

After my shower, I made the trip to Guild headquarters to exchange my magic stones and drop items for money.

I knew Eina wasn't there, so I got in and out as fast as I could.

"The sun is already going down…"

Golds and reds fill the evening sky.

From the front, headquarters really looks a lot like the basement of Babel Tower, now that I think about it. One step out the door and the noise of Main Street is already surrounding me.

Going around the monument on the front lawn, I pass through the front gate and into the throng of people already outside. There's a good mix of races out on Main Street tonight.

Actually, there are eight Main Streets in Orario. Every one of them starts at Babel and stretches all the way out to the city wall. I like to think of the city as a big cake with eight slices.

Each Main Street is named for the direction it goes from Babel Tower, like North Main or Southeast Main. Hestia and I live under a church between Northwest Main and West Main. The Benevolent Mistress, where Syr works, is located on West Main. The Guild headquarters is here, too, so most people on this street are adventurers.

Adventurers and their supporters need the Guild for many things like paperwork, the Exchange, etc. I'm in here a few times a day, everyone else at least once a day, I'm sure. Out of all the Main Streets, West Main has by far the most adventurers.

Therefore, there's a lot of competition for shops and bars to get a spot on this street. Adventurers need supplies and a good place to relax, and they have money. This street is lined with weapon shops, armor shops, item stores, and lots of bars. The places off of Main Street are a little shady, but you never know what you'll find in one of them. There are a few hotels here and there as well.

Adventurers are going in and out of shops all over the place. I've got some time to kill, let's see what's around. Well Hestia isn't home, so no rush.

"Hm? Oh, if it isn't Bell?"

"Ah! It's nice to see you again!"

The person who spoke to me was Miach.

"Hello, Miach. Are you out shopping?"

"Yeah, picking up a few things for dinner myself today. What are you up to?"

"I'm just looking around… I don't have any money, so I'm window-shopping."

"Ha-hamm, I can relate. Everyone in a small _Familia_ has to work hard, even the god."

He smiles at me from above two large paper bags, one in each hand. His smile is very soothing; well, he's an all-around cheerful god.

"By the way Miach, didn't you attend the banquet of gods?"

"No, I didn't feel like going there and moreover, there are some customers who need our services so I can't let Naaza do everything by herself."

"Oh, I see."

"Oh and Bell, I'd like you to have these. It's a sample of what I was working on the other night."

"Wait but you already gave me some before. Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's fine."

He then left with a smile. _Is he is the only kind god on the lower world, he must also be alert or he would be fooled easily… Well, gotta talk to Naaza later._

* * *

"It's been three days already and Hestia hasn't returned back. What kind of party is she attending?"

As usual I jogged my way to the dungeon, and yeah that day was filled with full of excitement because of the Monsterphilia. When Eina was free for some time I asked her about this Monsterphiliia.

Turns out that this is a festival where the members of Ganesha Familia let the monsters which are captured from deeper floors free in arena and one of the members tries to tame the monster, it has become a source of entertainment for the citizens of Orario. Gotta admit, the Lord of Masses, almighty elephant Ganesha is also known for his entertainment. He is a lively god and entertains everyone around him.

"Oi! Wait up nya, white-head boy!"

_White-head boy…?_

I haven't heard "boy" since… Where did that voice come from?

Isn't that The Mistress from Hostess? And that's the catgirl waitress. Running over, her thin tail swishing, waving her arms like a maniac…

… Behind her, isn't that the elfess who works there, too?

I remember the voice that called me "boy" all too well. It was that or "tomato boy," and other things I'd rather not think about.

_Is she really talking to me…?_ I returned Syr's basket on my way home last night…

I point at myself and mouth, "Me?" The catgirl is still coming this way at full speed, nodding.

"Good morning, nya! Sorry to call nyou out like that, nya!"

"Ah, um, morning… Can I help you…?"

She's bowing to me. Okay, I can do that, too…

That's a very rehearsed bow, must be for work. She's about to say something.

"Got a favor to ask nyou. Here, nya!"

"?"

"Syr is nyour friend, white-head kid. So I want nyou to give this to her, nya!"

It's a cloth coin purse with a metal clasp. I've seen this style before. It's popular.

There's an unfamiliar emblem engraved on the clasp, and I can tell right away it was made by one of the _Familias_. The purse itself is purple, kind of cute and girly.

Yeah, it's cute and all, but I don't understand…

Give this to Syr? What's going on?

"Uh… Come at me again?"

"Anya. You are not being clear. Mr. Cranel is confused."

Ah, the elfess. She was the one on the terrace this morning. Maybe she can tell me what's up…

… Hang on a second, she said, "Mr. Cranel"! She remembered me?

"Ryu, nyou're stupid! Syr forgot her wallet, playing hooky to go to Monsterphilia, nya. She nyeeds it, so I'm asking him to take it to her. Nyou knew that, right, white-head kid?"

"That is how it is. I apologize for the confusion."

"Ah, no, I got it now. That's what's going on."

The elfess named Ryu ignores her coworker's pouting face and gives me a short, repentant bow. I lower my head, too; she sorted it all out for me.

The catgirl looks dejected, like she was left out in the cold. Her tail hangs limp, and she looks at the ground. I hear a small "hm" come from her nose. Is she angry at me?

"Please pay her no mind. Are you sure it is okay to accept our request? Anya, the other employees and I are too busy preparing to go after Syr ourselves. I know we are interrupting your plans for today…"

"It's not that big of a deal, but is it true Syr is skipping out on work?"

"Anya did not choose her words well. Syr is not playing hooky. Her situation is different because she doesn't reside at our establishment like we do."

I knew Syr wouldn't skip work. She seemed to really enjoy it. Sounds like she has a day off or something. She doesn't live at the bar, which means that she doesn't need to work every day like these two. I bet that dwarfess, Mama Mia, had to give permission, though.

So she's bound to have a day off here and there, right?

And it sounds like she went to some kind of festival…

"Monsterphilia…?"

"Yes. She went to see the opening events today."

"We wanted to go, too, nya! But Mommy Mia said nyo nyo… Syr said she'd buy us syomething, but she forgot her wallet, nya! She smiled and waved, but nyo money! Careless girl, nya!"

"Anya, I don't believe you are correct…"

_Ehh, Okay I got this figured out. Syr can't buy souvenirs, or anything else, without her wallet._

"I believe that the area around the stadium on East Main will be very crowded. If you head in that direction, you should find the stadium easily."

"Syr just left, nya! Nyou can catch up!"

"Sure thing."

Clutching Syr's wallet in hand, I make my way toward Babel Tower. I'll need to go beyond it, but it should be a straight shot from here.

_Monsterphilia… I wonder what it's like…_

_Maybe I should check it out later?_


	5. Episode 4

**Episode 4-Hestia's Divine Knife and Freya's prank plan**

_**Two days before monsterphilia…**_

_**Hephaistos Familia**_

"How long do you plan on doing that?"

"…"

A very irritated red-haired goddess was sitting behind a desk on the third floor.

Hephaistos, dressed in her _Familia_'s uniform, had had enough. Her frustration poured into every syllable of her words.

The source of her annoyance was on the other side of her desk, a goddess on her hands and knees with her face pressed onto the floor. It was none other than Hestia.

They were on the third floor of _Hephaistos Familia_'s main store located on Northwest Main.

The store was the base of operations for her _Familia_'s world-famous brand. The third floor was devoted to management and currently packed with tension.

"You realize I'm very busy?"

"…"

"You may be very quiet, but I can't concentrate on paperwork with you there. Don't you get it?"

"…"

"Hestia?"

"…"

"… haa…"

Hephaistos could only sigh at the lump of a goddess on the floor, at her friend who had not moved from that position.

For an entire day.

That's how long Hestia had kept her head down, plastered to the floorboards.

On the night of the Celebration, Hestia had asked her to have her _Familia_ make a weapon for one of her members. Hephaistos dismissed it immediately.

Even though she didn't brag about it, the smiths of _Hephaistos Familia_ were known as the best in the business. She had a reputation to uphold. Run-of-the-mill adventurers and _Familias_ didn't have the resources to buy her weapons.

To have her smiths make a weapon just for a friend was out of the question. To request her smiths' sweat and blood to produce anything under those terms would be an abuse of power. Completely taboo.

Hephaistos had told Hestia many times, and as directly as possible, to come back with some money if she wanted to make a custom order.

However, Hestia hadn't given up and kept on asking. Every time she asked, her head bowed lower and lower. She'd been persistent since the start of the Celebration, and Hephaistos was at her limit.

Hestia showed no signs of giving up, or even raising her head.

Hephaistos had told her to do whatever she wanted and gone back to her _Familia'_s home base. She'd been planning to ignore Hestia until she gave up. Hestia was bound to get hungry and go home at some point.

That was two days ago.

Hestia was still pleading.

_Why is she doing this…?_

Hephaistos looked down on her with a questioning eye.

She couldn't understand what drove Hestia to keep that pose, even while Hephaistos was trying to sleep. It was quite a shock when she woke up. She nearly fell out of her bed.

She'd asked for many things before, but something was different this time.

Hestia's strong will, her obsession, was shining through.

"Just what is that pose? You've been doing it since yesterday."

"… _Dogeza_."

"Do-ge-za?"

"Také told me this pose has the power to make people forgive whatever you have done and grant any request."

"Také…?"

"Takemikazuchi…"

"Aaa…," said Hephaistos as the face of the god in question floated into her mind. She knew that if Hestia was taking his advice, this could be a real pain.

_I can't take this anymore…_Hephaistos sighed. She couldn't focus on her paperwork. So, she set her feather pen on the side of her desk and piled up the papers that still needed her signature.

The sun cast long, golden shadows across the room. Night was almost upon them.

Hephaistos glanced outside before straightening her always perfect posture. Taking a deep breath, she cast her gaze onto the back of Hestia's head.

"… Hestia, tell me. Why are you going this far?"

Her finger lightly scratched her eye patch as she posed her question.

"… Because I want to help him!"

Hestia didn't look up, only raised her voice loud enough to be clearly understood.

"Bell has a goal, and he's chosen the hardest path to follow. It's a dangerous path, that's why I want to help! I want to give him the strength he needs! A weapon that will clear a path for him!"

Hestia kept talking with her face to the floor, never looking up.

A god asking another god for help. Hestia had to reveal her true intentions. It was impossible to hide anything from a god. She bared her entire being in an attempt to persuade Hephaistos to change her mind.

"Ever since we met he is working hard and I feel like I am living off his hard work! I'm his goddess, but I haven't done anything godlike for him!"

Hestia's whole body tensed as she squeezed out her next words:

"… I hate being useless…"

Her voice was weak, but it was enough to reach Hephaistos's ears.

At that moment, the truth in Hestia's words convinced her to act.

"… All right. A weapon shall be made for this… boy."

Hestia's eyes shot open as her head popped up. Hephaistos shrugged.

"If I didn't say yes, you'd never move."

"… Yes. Thank you, Hephaistos!"

Hestia tried to jump to her feet, but after spending a day facedown on the floor, her limbs weren't ready. She fell back to her knees, an innocent smile on her face. Hephaistos sighed again, but this time it was lighthearted.

She knew she was being too nice to her, but Hephaistos saw a change in Hestia. She felt no animosity helping her like this.

At least Hestia wasn't shut up in a room in her shop anymore. Thinking of the difference between those days and now made her smile despite herself.

"But let me say this: You will pay back every single val, understood? I don't care if it takes one hundred years, you will repay me."

That didn't mean she was going to give the weapon to her for free.

Even though Hestia was taking advantage of her own resources to get what she wanted, the world-famous _Hephaistos Familia_ was taking action. Hestia had to work for it.

However, Hestia had shown resolve. Hephaistos nodded to herself as she stood up from her chair, walked over to the still-kneeling Hestia, and softly poked her nose.

"I know, I know. I can do it if I try. And I'll prove to you that my feelings for Bell are the real thing!"

"Ha-ha, I'm looking forward to it."

Hephaistos was only half listening to Hestia's bold words as she walked over to a shelf at the other side of the room. Mostly used for decoration, the shelf held a line of brand-new short hammers of varying colors.

"What does he use?"

"Umm… He uses a knife…"

Hephaistos muttered, "Is that right," under her breath as she picked up a vermilion hammer from the display shelf.

The hammer had no useless decorations or markings—it was designed to be used, not seen. Hephaistos slid the tool into a pouch strapped around her waist.

Next, she walked farther down the shelf to a clear crystal case and opened the lid. The case contained a mix of assorted metals and alloys. She selected one that sparkled a light silver hue, mythril.

Lighter and stronger than iron, mythril was also far more malleable and easier to work with.

It was the best metal for a female blacksmith's thin arms, with no special abilities, to shape.

"H-Hephaestus? Are you going to make it yourself?"

"Yes, of course. That should be obvious. This has nothing to do with my _Familia_. It's a private request between us. I can't let them get involved."

This was the main store of her _Familia'_s business, but it was equipped with a rather small forge and workshop on the first floor. Hephaistos was planning to go there to make the weapon herself.

She shot Hestia a look with her good eye as if to say, "You have a problem with that?"

Hestia shook her head and arms, indicating, "Not one." Her face beamed with youthful energy.

"Why would I have a reason to complain? Bell will get a weapon made by the most famous blacksmith in all of Tenkai! In fact, I couldn't ask for more!"

"Have you forgotten? This isn't Tenkai, I can't use my 'power' here."

The gods and goddesses had a mutual agreement. All of them were forbidden to use Arcanium while on Gekai.

Hephaistos had made hundreds of weapons and pieces of armor for gods while living in Tenkai. But down here, the Goddess of the Forge was on par with an unblessed child, just a human in terms of strength.

"You think I care? I'm so happy you're doing this!"

"…"

She didn't doubt Hephaistos's skill. Accepting her work with no conditions still made Hephaistos uneasy. It was written all over her face.

What bothered her most was that she didn't care.

"… You will be lending me a hand. I'm not going to let you just sit around."

"You can count on me!"

Hiding a small smile with her fingers, Hephaistos turned to leave.

Hestia followed her, bouncing up and down like an excited puppy.

_Got to follow the customer's wishes, don't I?_

Hephaistos was changing her mind-set from the leader of the _Familia_ to that of a craftsman.

The blade that Hestia desired…

A blade that would clear the path for an adventurer.

A blade worthy of the name "Hephaistos."

… _Easier said than done…_

Hephaistos dug through her memory to recall as much information about the boy as she could.

Bell Cranel. Human. A eighteen-year-old boy.

He was the only member of _Hestia Familia_. He'd received his Falna little more than two days ago.

_A high-quality blade useable by the adventurers like him to get strong…_

This was a very difficult problem.

Adventurers who tried to use too strong of a blade suffered for it. Their growth stopped as they tried to master the weapon. They couldn't wield it in battle. To put it simply, they were not ready.

On the other hand, if she made a poor blade, it would damage the name "Hephaistos."

Hephaistos considered herself a smith before a god. She took a lot of pride in everything she made. She wouldn't allow herself to produce anything less than the best. It was her policy.

Anything worth doing is worth making well. She decided to put her heart and soul into making the perfect blade.

She was between a rock and a hard place.

_Well… how shall we do this?_

She called on the knowledge that came from making countless other pieces.

_It may be for a friend, but this order is a real pain in the ass…_

Hestia looked on with bubbly eyes as Hephaistos went to work, cursing the whole thing.

* * *

_**Current time…**_

East Main Street was alive with the songs and voices of the citizens of Orario.

It was now nine o'clock in the morning. While most adventurers were already prowling the Dungeon, throngs of townspeople were gathering on the streets.

A line of food stalls ran down the middle of the street, another two lines along the sides. Sounds and smells of their various confections spread out over an ocean of humanity. The street itself was decorated with long ribbons and vibrant flowers. Flags of many colors flew in the morning breeze. Some of them had the silhouette of particularly vicious monsters printed on them. The others had an elephant's head, the emblem of _Ganesha Familia_.

A young animal boy, his face red with excitement, pulled his mother's arm as they plunged into the crowd. The sun itself seemed to be celebrating the day, its bright yellow beams lighting up the sky.

East Main had been completely transformed by the fair.

"Where did she go?"

I am still searching for syr and yet no luck.

"Man, I hope I don't get lost in this hazard…!?"

Again a gaze fall upon me…

This time it was nearby me but where I don't know. I didn't mind it that much and was still on search for syr.

"..."

The line of fairgoers ran from the east gate all the way up to the stadium itself. A pair of silver eyes watched them inch along from above the street.

From the second floor of a café, to be exact.

The café had a wooden interior and a very laid-back atmosphere. One woman was sitting at a table next to a glass window facing the street. She was wearing a navy blue cloak to prevent her face, and snowy-white skin, from being seen.

However, one layer of cloth was not enough to contain this person's beauty.

Even though her face was well hidden under a hood, every set of eyes in the café was trained on her. Whenever she would trace the lip of her cup with her delicate fingers or her elegant chin peeked out from under her hood for a moment, everyone around her held their breath. Many people who happened to see her stopped and stared.

All of them were fascinated by someone doing almost nothing. Freya, the Goddess of Beauty, ignored them and kept her eyes on the street below.

"…"

She was watching the many people of Gekai, the children.

Humans, animal people, dwarves, elves. A few adventurers were sprinkled in among the colors of these different races.

Freya thoroughly scanned them with her sharp eyes.

Creaks in the wooden floor announced the arrival of a few customers.

Freya stopped the examination and turned to greet the newcomers.

"Yo! Sorry to keep ya waitin'!"

"Not at all. I just got here myself."

Freya smiled under her hood at the person waving at her from the head of the stairwell. The person with mens clothing and red-hair along with a girl with blonde-hair and golden-eyed girl came from the stairwell. It was Loki and Aiz.

Fighting back a yawn and with tears in her eyes, Loki smiled back at the cloaked figure.

"Haven't had breaky yet. Mind if I grab a bite?"

"Do as you please."

Loki pulled up a chair across from Freya and sat down while Aiz stood behind heer near the window. Freya continued to smile her usual smile, not reacting to Loki at all. The two of them had an air about them, like friends who had known each other for a very long time.

"I heard you had quite the night after the Celebration. Crawled into a bottle and passed out, did you? Hee-hee-hee, Hestia's something else, isn't she?"

"Where'd ya hear that, boobs for brains?"

"I overheard some of your cute children. They had themselves quite the laugh."

"Those bastards, always havin' a good time without me!"

Freya had invited Loki to this café to talk at nine in the morning.

It had been a few days since the Celebration. The two goddesses were only here because of Freya's request.

"So when are you going to introduce that girl standing behind you?"

"Eh, ya need introducin'?"

"This is the first time for us to meet face-to-face. 'K then, this is my Aiz. That 'nough for ya? Aiz, this is a goddess, ya should at least say 'ello."

"… N-Nice to meet you."

Freya muttered, "Kenki," under her breath as her eyes skimmed over the girl.

Aiz Wallenstein. She was the female swordsman who was responsible for _Loki Familia_'s sudden rise to notoriety, even among the gods. Her name and reputation were known not just in Orario but were spreading around the world. Indeed, she needed no introduction.

"Ya can take a seat," said Loki as the girl with a thin, delicate face nodded and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"She is very cute. And also… Yes. I can see why you have taken a liking to this one."

Aiz's golden eyes met Freya's silver ones. Aiz kept her face emotionless as she lowered her head in a polite bow, but still the beauty of the goddess made her uncomfortable. Well her nickname was perfect in some ways, completely wrong in others. Freya's smile flexed for a moment thinking about it.

"Can I ask why you brought the kenki here with you?"

"Fu-he-he-heee… It's the Fair, yah? What better time for a date with my Aizuu?"

Loki's eyes twinkled, a vulgar smile on her lips.

"Well, that and she's finally back from an expedition. She'll be back in the Dungeon in no time. That's just her."

"…"

"Someone's gotta tell 'er to relax, don' they?"

Loki patted the girl's head as she spoke. Aiz looked down, deciding not to speak up.

Freya looked at the warmth in Loki's thin eyes and couldn't help but remember how she was before coming here. Loki had been quite the troublemaker in Tenkai.

"Well, then, I think it's about time ya tell me why I'm here."

"I just wanted to chat. It's been a while."

"Lyin' through yer teeth."

Loki sent a smirk at Freya, still smiling under her hood. She matched Freya's tone to the letter. The "old friends" aura was gone.

A waiter was unlucky enough to come to take their order at that very moment. Stuck between two lightning rods, he stood silent and motionless at the head of the table as if he had been chained down.

As for Aiz, she kept her face devoid of emotion and chose to watch quietly from the side.

"I'll ask ya again, why?"

"I don't understand. What's the matter, Loki?"

"Come on, moron."

Freya turned to the waiter, still motionless at the head of the table, and flashed him a smile. The man's eyes opened like floodgates, his face turning beet red. He broke out in a cold sweat before quickly turning around and wasting no time leaving the area.

Loki watched him leave for a moment before returning her raptor-like gaze back to Freya.

"Ya been strange recently. Ya claim not to be interested in the Celebration, but poke yer head in at the last minute. Say yer there for information? Ya don' care about that, ya never have… What are ya scheming?"

"Scheming…? Why do you make it sound so evil?"

"Shut ya mouth."

Loki followed it with saying that strange things happened when Freya acted like this. She went on to say that if it got in her way, she'd end it herself. Loki didn't blink, her red eyes adding weight to her words.

Freya didn't back down, meeting Loki's eyes with her own. The look on Loki's face could have killed a serpent, but Freya took it head-on, smiling. Invisible sparks flew; the pressure of their conversation filled the room. The café emptied in no time flat.

Aiz had a front-row seat to the clash of goddesses that seemed to go on forever. Until…

Loki got tired and backed down.

The tension instantly evaporated, and Loki continued in a more relaxed voice: "A man, isn't it?"

"…"

Freya didn't answer, just kept smiling.

Loki took it as an affirmation.

She let out a deep, long sigh. She had seen this too many times already.

"So… Ya got an eye for a child already in another _Familia_, I take it?"

All of the gods and goddesses knew about Freya's "habits" when it came to men.

Once a male on Gekai caught her eye, she made a move. Her beauty was powerful enough to make her target her own. Exactly how many men had fallen under her spell, no one knew.

Freya didn't try to deny Loki's words.

"Jeez, woman. Is that all ya think about? Ya'll go after anyone, young or old?"

"How rude. I do have standards."

"Leaving out all the bumbling idiots on Tenkai you pull fast ones on?"

"They have their uses. I'm quite skilled at getting money out of them."

Loki cleared her throat. The witch was putting up all of her dirty laundry. Loki raised an eyebrow at her fellow goddess. Freya shrugged, but only just enough for the fabric on her cloak to bend ever so slightly.

Thinking that there was nothing left to be said, Loki put her hands behind her head and leaned back in her chair so much that the front feet came off the floor.

Freya also let her guard down and took a sip from her now-cold cup. They both had an answer, and the mood finally cleared.

A clear, sunny sky spread out from the window beside them. The noises of the street were pouring into the café.

Freya's navy blue cloak swayed in a light breeze rolling in from an open window.

"And?"

"…?"

"Who's the guy? What child are ya after now? When'd ya find 'im?"

Loki leaned her head to the side as if to say, "Spill it."

Now she was interested. Unlike Freya, Loki loved details.

If she didn't get the goods now, she'd leave.

"…"

"I came all this way, changed my plans. I have the right to know."

Freya looked away from the goddess giving her demands and cast her gaze back out onto the street.

The hood of Freya's cloak opened enough for Loki to see her silver eyes go clear, as if she was thinking about something in the past.

"… He's strong willed. He might be equal if you compare him to the children in our _Familias _even if his level is low. Hard-working, he analyses and face the simplest of problems like a true mature… He mostly cares for others than himself… He is brave enough to stand against scary monsters… That kind of child."

The word "but" was on the tip of her tongue.

"He was beautiful, pure, and bright. I've never seen anything like him."

And that was why she'd fallen for him.

"!?"

…_strong willed. Might be equal if you compare him with us even if his level is low. Hard-working, analyses and face the problems like a true mature… mostly cares for others than himself… and is brave enough to stand against a scary monsters?_

The description given by Freya strike Aiz, and only one person's image was ringing on her mind.

"Bell…" she muttered, which made Loki notice,

"Aizuu, did'cha say somethin?"

"Uh… no-nothing…" she stammered.

Freya continued: "I found him by accident. He just happened to walk across my line of vision."

"It was just like this…"

Early morning, brisk air, fresh sunlight, West Main.

He'd come from the other end of the street—just like right now.

He ran into her line of sight, just like he had that morning.

"…"

Freya stopped breathing.

Her eyes had found a white-haired human boy in light adventurer's armor.

He jumped between people, jogged for a bit, and then stopped before doing it all again.

The boy was moving toward the stadium. Monsterphilia.

Riding the river of people, he was well on his way to the circular building not too far down the road.

Freya watched him for a moment. A new smile, a scary smile, grew on her lips.

"I apologize. Something has come up."

"Eh?"

"Let's do this again soon."

Loki collapsed to the table in stunned disappointment. Freya was already out of her chair.

She adjusted her cloak as she went down the stairs and out of the building.

Only Loki and Aiz were left in the café.

"What kinda person just leaves ya hangin' like that…?"

Loki stared at the staircase for a moment, her eye twitching.

A small "hmm" escaped her throat as she turned to face the girl one seat away from her.

Aiz had her eyes glued to the window.

"What's up, Aiz? Somethin' wrong?"

"… No."

She went on to say, "It's nothing," but she didn't look away. Her golden eyes, just like the silver eyes of the goddess before her, saw Bell moving through the crowd to the stadium.

_She is after Bell?..._

* * *

_**Hephaistos Familia**_

"Here it is."

"Ooooo!"

Hephaistos, still dressed in her work gear, handed Hestia a small case. Hestia let out a squeal of delight. She had bags under her eyes, but her face still beamed with energy.

"Does it meet your expectations?"

"Yes, yes! Very much so! No complaints!"

The hinges of the case squeaked as Hestia opened it to have a look inside.

The case contained a dagger with a black handle and sheath.

The entire weapon was black from top to bottom. It might have looked like a simple blade, but Hephaistos had put her soul into making this weapon… with a little help from Hestia.

Completing Bell's new weapon in just under a day gave Hestia a look of happiness and satisfaction, the likes of which Hephaistos had never seen.

"Ah! Hephaistos, the blade needs a name! Can I give it one? Let's see, how about 'Hestia dagger' or something like that?"

"Well for best let's name it 'Hestia Knife', and I'll say this again: Do not go back on the loan."

"I won't! I won't!"

Hephaistos took her hair out of the tight bun she had made yesterday and started putting in pins. Hestia's energy was infectious, and she couldn't help but smile and nod at her.

However, Hestia was busy adjusting her clothes, as if she were getting ready to go.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah, sorry!"

She couldn't just sit here now. Hestia made for the exit.

"You should rest before you go!"

Hestia didn't turn around or respond, just waved her hand as she headed out the door.

She had been waiting in a small room behind _Hephaistos Familia_'s main store. She walked right past it and onto Main Street.

_I can't wait to give this to him!_

Just thinking about his face the moment she gave him the dagger made her so happy she could die.

First, he would simply smile at her, look at her with respect and admiration, and he would hold her…

Hestia's cheeks puffed up as she thought of how to set up that moment. She was walking down the middle of the road, her face stuck in the same expression, giggling to herself.

She calmed down a bit as she walked farther down Northwest Main.

She decided to wait for Bell at home, rather than trying to find him in the city. Of course, she wanted to give it to him as quickly as possible, but she didn't know where he was at the moment.

Probably somewhere in the Dungeon, knowing him.

"Hmm?… Ha-ha-ha, I see…"

She'd had a plan, until she happened to see a poster on the side of a shop. No one showed it to her. It was just there. A triumphant grin grew on her face.

The poster detailed the schedule for Monsterphilia, opening today.

_The yearly festival is today! Bell just came to Orario. If he knows about Monsterphilia, that's where he'll be!_

Turning on a heel, she made her way toward East Main.

"Hey! Taxi!"

She flagged down a horse cart that was passing through by waving her small hand.

The young driver neatly pulled right up at Hestia's feet. She climbed into the cart and said, "To East Main, please!" and pointed that way for good measure.

"Ha-ha, loud and clear. Are you by chance going to Monsterphilia, Miss Goddess?"

"Something like that."

The young man flicked the reins, sending the cart into motion. The sound of wooden wheels hitting the rock pavement bounced in her ears. Her seat shook with each stone.

* * *

"_***pant* *pant***_... Where is she?"

Now, I am completely exhausted. I had been searching for her for, I don't know, more than four hours I guess. Moreover, this place is flooded with people making it almost impossible to find her.

The crowd was pushing and pulling so I decided to give them a way and finally rested myself in between the space of two adjacent building.

"Heeey! BELL!"

"Huh?"

Is that who I think it is over there…? Oh, wow.

Haven't seen Hestia for days, and suddenly she shows up here, in the middle of this mess?

She comes all the way up to me.

"Hestia, where were you all this time? I mean, it's been days since you've left. And moreover ( _-_- : expression _) What are you doing here? In this mess?"

"Hey, don't be stupid! I wanted to see you, why else?"

"Yeah, but you could've waited at the church ya know."

"..."

Hestia starts to giggle, _She isn't listening to me at all._

"You seem to be in a really good mood. What happened?"

"Hee-hee… You wanna know? The reason why I'm happy…"

"Yeah…"

I swear she's smiling hard enough to power all the magic stone lamps in Orario… She's also hiding something behind her back. What could that be? Well, I'll just have to wait. She's really drawing this out.

"The truth is…"

I wait for her to continue, but she just stops.

She looks around the fair, taking in the sights and sounds. But I don't think she's really here, in the real world. Now she's staring up at the sky. What is going through her head?

"… Hmm. We're already out here, so I'll tell you later!"

"Ehhhhh?"

"Look forward to something really special!"

"Aww, come on…"

My shoulders drops. What is she trying to do to me? Wait, what? She grabbed my hand?!

My heart skips a beat as she takes my right hand. Her skin, it's so soft… She's pulling!

"Let's have a date, Bell!"

She turns her back and looks over her shoulder with a cute little smile.

"… A date?!"

"Yep, yep! Just look at the city! Everything looks so fun! We'll have a great time!"

_A date? Alright If you play like that, then I. am. in. hehehe…_

"Sure why not…"

I pulled her towards me, which took her by surprise,

"UWA-"

Her cheeks stars to burn up, her small-soft body was trembling as I rested her head near my chest.

"I will surely go on a date with my dear Hestia… but before that…"

"B-Before t-that… w-w-what?..."

She craned her neck and looked at me with a burned and teary face.

"Aww, you look like a cute little girl when you are embarrassed like that."

"Mgn…" She dug in her face and I enjoyed the scenario.

_**Bell POV**_

_How do ya like it now, hehe…_

_**Hestia POV**_

_I never thought that Bell would be t-t-this b-b-b-bold! To m-m-m-make t-t-the f-f-first move!, wahhhh it's embarrassing… uwaaa… I-I-I-I'm not r-r-ready for t-t-this y-y-yet._

"Tell me the reason that made you smile like that will ya."

"O-O-Okay, j-j-j-j-j-j-just let go of meeeeeee!"

I let her go, she was still blushing like mad, as promised she told me while handing over the thing which she has on her back, Now she calms down. She opened the case in her hands. She removes the contents and holds it out for me.

A black knife encased in a black sheath rests in her palm.

I slowly reach out to take the weapon from her. I stand there almost in shock as I take the blade from its protective cover. The handle and sheath are black; the blade is no exception.

The black knife doesn't curve like a claw. It's straight as an arrow.

Plus, a series of complicated markings decorates the edges.

It starts glowing a deep purple in my hand, almost as if the "god knife" is responding to my touch. I stand there, admiring the weapon and its beauty. It feels sacred, as if it was created by the gods themselves, no… it's clearly a god's creation.

I look back up at the goddess. Her crystal-clear eyes meet mine.

"W-Wait… t-this knife… Hestia, where did you get the life and growth knife?" I whispered so that nobody notices otherwise I would be yelling out aloud like a mad wolf…

Yes, a life and growth knife. Just as its name suggests, the weapon is considered alive when held by a certain user with their deity's hieroglyphs.

Hestia dragged me inside the narrow path between the two buildings, she then told everything that Hephaistos told her. Finally, she sighed.

"Well, that is why I was happy."

She looks at me with a plain face.

"...Hestia…" I placed my hand on her right shoulder, she was surprised and blushed a bit,

"Y-Yes…"

"Do you know how much it costs!?"

"Eh… N-No need to worry about it Bell."

"Oh yeah? ( _points at Hφαιστος engraved in the corner of the sheath _) She won't give you this kind of blade for free…"

"Uhh… Oh Bell look over their…"

_She changed the topic, well I will ask her later on, but first I have to fulfil my promise._

"Okay just as promised we are going on a date."

Hestia's eyes glittered and said: "YES!"

"But it's a so called 'date' got it."

That statement made her fall apart, well sometimes it feels good to pull her legs.

* * *

It was a dark, dirty room with almost no light.

A single magic stone lamp hung from the ceiling, casting long shadows over everything in the room. Boxes standing a square meter tall lined the dusty, dank storage room. Different types of weapons and items hung on the walls.

Many cages were in here as well. The sound of chains echoed as the beasts inside the cages fought against their restraints. The iron cages were built in a lattice pattern. Monsters stuck their snouts out of the openings, baring their fangs and howling.

The room was under the stadium's main stage. It was being used as the monsters' waiting room.

Their cages would be moved to the surface by a staff member when it was their turn onstage. A tamer would be waiting for them when their chains were broken.

"What are you doing? We're ready for the next one! Why won't you raise it?!"

_Clop-clop-clop._ Sharp steps in high heels echoed off the stone floor outside the storage room just before the door opened to reveal a female member of _Ganesha Familia._

She was the team manager for monster transportation. Her assistants never missed a beat, so when the next cage failed to show up on time, she rushed to investigate.

She was ready to scold them, but no one responded.

"W-what's wrong? Hey!"

Her team members were on the floor all over the room.

The four men she had left in charge were sitting down, leaning against boxes with absent looks on their faces.

She ran to the closest one, fearing the worst. He was breathing. No injuries, either. Going to the rest of the team, they were in exactly the same aloof state. However, they were alive.

The only problem was that all of them looked like puppets that had their strings cut. There was no strength in their bodies at all.

"Ah… ah."

_Monster poison…? No, it can't be… What the hell did this?!_

All of them were murmuring something. Their faces were beet red. Their eyes weren't focusing.

She had never seen anything like this. A chill crept through her body as she realized she didn't know how to help them. How could she cure what she was seeing for the first time?

_What happened here…?_ She stood up and scanned the room, ignoring the howling and thrashing beasts still locked in their cages.

"—"

The air behind her suddenly shifted.

It was not an aggressive sneak attack, more like one friend creeping up on another. There was no intent to harm, which was why the woman was too slow to react.

Someone was standing behind her.

"Please stand still?"

"—ah."

A quick swish of cloth, and suddenly she couldn't see.

Her eyes were covered by delicate fingers that were smooth to the touch.

A heartbeat later, her whole body froze in place, limbs shaking ever so slightly.

A sweet smell licked her nose, a soft body pressed against her back, warmth enveloped her skin. All of her senses were paralyzed by a "beauty" she couldn't see.

It was an overwhelming "charm."

A "charm" she couldn't comprehend.

She couldn't fight back, she couldn't resist.

Her mind was going blank, thoughts evaporating all at once.

Her freedom was gone.

"Where is the key?"

"—e."

"The key to the cages—where is it?"

The voice whispered lightly into her ear, but the sound consumed her consciousness. Her head leaned forward, her neck unable to support it.

She could not fight the words in her head, and she obeyed.

Her shaky right arm reached behind her back to grab a key chain strapped to her belt. The keys shook violently in her jittery hand. She raised the keys up to her shoulder.

"Thank you."

The hands covering her eyes left as the keys were taken from her hand. But her eyes didn't trigger. The girl did not see anything.

The presence behind her withdrew. Without its support, her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor, landing softly on her rear end.

She had fallen victim to the same "charm" as her team and joined their fate.

"My apologies."

Freya left the girl behind and walked farther into the storage room.

Guild staff and the "fierce members" of _Ganesha Familia_ had been guarding the west gate. She had rendered them all helpless in order to come this far.

Freya didn't have the ability to fight anyone. She was just one of the many gods on Gekai. She had no special powers.

But she had her beauty. She literally was beauty itself.

She had a power that couldn't be controlled by reason. Other gods fell under her spell; humans and demi-humans didn't stand a chance. She had the overwhelming ability to put anyone in a trance on a whim.

This time she was using it to have a little fun.

The gender of her victims didn't matter. Their consciousness would leave them; they would forget they had bones to stand on. They became infatuated with her "charm."

As long as she was careful not to be seen, this level of infiltration was well within her power.

"…"

Freya stopped in the middle of the storage room.

Monster cages were lined up all around her, their occupants howling with renewed vigor. She listened to the explosion of beastly roars around her.

However, as soon as she lowered her hood, all of the beasts went silent.

"…"

Her beauty had ensnared them, too.

Skin the color of freshly fallen snow filled their eyes. Freya's silver hair and silver eyes hypnotized the monsters into a passive state, their muscles shutting down.

Even vicious monsters were not safe from her "charm."

"… You'll do well."

She looked over all of them individually before stopping at one particular cage.

That monster was covered in a thick white coat of fur. Its arms were massive and its shoulders broad with bulging muscles. A line of longer, thread-like fur that matched Freya's hair color perfectly ran down its back ends in what looked like a stubby tail.

The wild silverback locked eyes with the Goddess of Beauty, its breathing getting heavier and heavier with each passing second.

"Come out."

She opened the lid of the cage with the key in her hand.

The monster obeyed Freya's instructions and stepped out of the lattice cage. The chains restraining its arms and legs jangled at its feet.

She had released a monster. She knew how dangerous this could be.

While she was pulling the strings, little details like that meant nothing to her.

She'd come here for one reason.

_That boy is right outside…_

Her target was Bell Cranel.

_Ahh, but it's a pity. I wanted to watch him grow a little while longer…_

She knew Bell was growing at an alarming rate. She didn't know why, but she could see he was improving by leaps and bounds.

No one could keep a secret from a god.

… _I want to play with him._

Freya laughed to herself like a little kid.

She wanted to play a joke on the one she loved, just as if she were an immature child.

But she couldn't stop. Her love at first sight was driving her forward like a twinge of pain deep in her chest every moment she couldn't be with him.

She wanted to see him scared, see him cry, but above all, she wanted to see his courage.

"…"

"Fhaa… fhaaaa…?"

Freya lovingly stroked the cheek of the silverback, its nose flaring with each swell of air. She paused for a moment as a new thought went through her mind.

What if this monster accidentally killed Bell because she let it loose?

She hadn't thought of that but quickly shrugged it off.

If Bell died today…

_I'll go after him._

If his spirit left Gekai, she would chase it to the ends of time and space.

_I will hold him._

Once she caught him, she would hold him against her passionate breasts.

Her eyes glowed with love and tenderness, but her face showed a love of cruelty. An absolutely evil smile unrolled from her lips.

She held the silverback's head with both hands, evil smile and all. Every muscle in the monster's body pulsed with energy.

_So…_

She leaned forward and placed her lips on the creature's forehead.

_Wait for me?_

A roar erupted from the storage room.


	6. Episode 5

**Episode 5-Level One Hero**

We relaxed in a small park which is in front of the Colosseum where the Monsterphilia is being conducted. Currently, the event was going on, while the two of us relaxed and shared our crépes.

"Crap I totally forgot…"

"What Bell?"

"Sorry Hestia but currently I am searching for a person named Syr."

"S-Syr?"

"Hey, Bell. This person you are looking for is a girl, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is a girl."

"..."

Hestia didn't say a word, she only pouted.

_I see now…_

"Hestia, I am finding that person to hand over her wallet."

"Eh?"

"You see, she is the person who works at the bar. One of her friends asked me to hand it over to her as she is here to see Monsterphilia."

"Oh…"

"So ya really were jealous huh," I said it with a teasing smile.

Hestia started to puff up with embarrassment and looked away as her twin tail hairs followed the jerk.

"I am not jealous. Bell you idiot."

"Hahaha… no you are."

"No, I'm not… Humph!"

"Now, now don't get-"

"—?"

"… What is it, Bell?"

_I feel something in the air. The adrenaline is coming back at a rapid pace. Just now, something…_

_Something reaches my ears._

_It's not the din of the festival; it's sharper, tenser._

" HEEEEELP!"

"… A scream?"

Just as the words leave my mouth, a tidal wave of sound overtakes us.

"RRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAARRR!"

"MONSTERRRRRRRRR!"

The peaceful street erupts into an explosion of panic at that one word.

_There it is._

A monster is at the end of the street, coming from the stadium.

It's charging down the stone road, all of its white fur standing on end.

The monster, the silverback, was enraged.

A storm within, muscles firing off at full strength, it breathed with enough force to blow everything out of its way. It wanted her, and it wanted her now.

It was looking for a goddess.

The last it saw of her silver hair was outside the stadium, disappearing into a crowd. The completely charmed monster rushed after her with more strength and power than it had ever had before, almost as though it was being pulled by an invisible chain.

Her love!

The goddess's affection!

The monster's purest, most basic instincts had taken over its body and driven it forward.

A monster's instincts didn't waver. Its quest for a goddess's love consumed it.

"Gaaaaahhhhhh!"

"Heeee!"

The silverback advanced down the street, swatting carts and boxes out of its way.

A crying horse managed to get out of the way. The driver of the cart wasn't so lucky. He was launched skyward and tumbled to the ground. The horse wheeled the empty cart back around to its master as the silverback charged by.

It was losing the scent of the goddess. Her sweet aroma was gone. Had it made a wrong turn?

The silverback stopped for a moment and tried to find her scent again. It looked in every direction, taking in big huffs of air.

Many people filled the streets once again—people running, people in shock, people screaming at the top of their lungs. The silverback was enclosed in a circle of humanity.

The silverback's eyes skimmed the crowd before suddenly coming to a stop.

Its eyes had locked onto a point, a certain someone.

It saw "her" with bloodshot eyes.

A small girl with black hair and blank eyes staring right back at him.

A being clearly different from the others around her.

Someone on a whole other plane.

Someone with the same qualities as the "goddess" he pursed.

A voice climbed into its ears:

"—_Could you chase the small one?"_

Those words whispering in its ear were hers.

—Found you!

The silverback took one big step toward the wide-eyed little girl.

"—"

It takes a step forward.

"… B-Bell."

I grabbed Hestia's hand and pulled her behind me.

A white body, silver hair running down its back. Its presence is overwhelming.

It has the eyes of a beast, no rhythm or reason. And it's looking at me and Hestia.

_Dammit, it's after us? No…_

The monster on seeing the girl behind me made a dash,

_It's after Hestia._

With my instinct, I shealted the knife and quickly went for the kill,

"Hestia, run!"

"BELL…"

* * *

A roar of applause swept through the crowd.

One of _Ganesha Familia_'s tamers had just issued a command and a once-uncontrollable monster took a seat on the arena floor.

The Coliseum, located in eastern Orario, stood high above the surrounding buildings. Energy swirled within its walls, threatening to bubble out over the top.

"Gotta hand it to Ganesha's guys, that was amazing! That one made taming look simple. I could never pull that off."

"Very much so. The chances of successfully taming a monster are extremely slim, and yet he pulled it off in front of a large audience…"

"It's all part of the show. Not only did he tame the monster, but he also pulled off all those flashy moves at the same time to up the entertainment value. I'd pay to see something like this any day."

Tiona, Lefiya, and Tione had come to the Coliseum to see the main event of the Monsterphilia. Arriving early in the morning, the three girls had claimed very good seats in the stands. Thoroughly impressed by the best that _Ganesha Familia_ had to offer, they talked among themselves and the crowd.

The very colorfully dressed tamer took a bow and was received by another round of enthusiastic applause. The tiger monster looked like nothing more than a well-trained house cat as the man guided it out of the arena. Once they were clear, the arena's eastern gate flung open to reveal a very masculine tamer and a dragon standing over seven meters tall.

"They caught something that big in the Dungeon and dragged it all the way up here?"

"Of course they didn't. They tracked one down outside the city. Most monsters born outside the Dungeon are much weaker, but dragons are always powerful."

The three girls had a great view of the arena from their seats, a couple of rows back from the front.

All of the applause was suddenly replaced by thousands of gasps in unison. "Uaahhh!" Tiona tilted her head to the side, squeezing one eye closed. Lefiya covered her ears and took in a deep breath.

"Wait, don't you think this is a little strange? Look at that creature. Wouldn't it make more sense for it to be the grand finale?"

Somehow the elf's voice was loud enough to be heard by her friends. Tiona straightened her head and blinked a few times before taking a closer look at the monster.

It was by far the most powerful and intimidating monster they'd seen today. The festival was scheduled to continue for a few more hours, so there was no reason for it to take the place of other monsters. The more Tiona thought about it, the stranger this timing seemed to her.

In that case, there was a reason for the organizers to change the order—as in the next monsters couldn't make it to the arena.

"Also…don't the _Ganesha Familia_ adventurers look a bit anxious?"

"Ah, you noticed that, too?"

The Amazonian twins scanned the crowd. Sure enough, many people wearing _Ganesha Familia_'s emblem were running in and out of a private box on the top lip of the Coliseum. Most likely, their god, Ganesha, was inside. Other members of the familia were working their way through the crowd, talking with anyone who looked strong. Their body language told the girls that they were asking for something.

Tiona and the others couldn't help but feel that something bad was going on. The anxiety on the _Ganesha Familia_ members' faces was impossible to miss.

"What shall we do?"

"…We could go and ask?"

Tione answered Lefiya's question as she stood up from her seat.

The three girls squeezed their way past other people seated in their row and ran up the aisle to the exit.

_**Near Ganesha's seat, his child came with bad news**_

"Ganesha! Ganesha! We have a major problem! Emergency!"

A commotion erupted in a corner of the sunlit stadium.

Monsterphilia was still in progress. A tamer was currently riding a small, long-necked dragon like a bull at a rodeo on the main stage. The audience was too involved in the action below to notice what was going on above them.

"—What you hiding? I am Ganesha!"

"I know that, sir! Why are you introducing yourself now?!"

Ganesha watched the fair from a great spot on the rim of the upper deck where he could see everything at once. When a member of his _Familia_ rushed up to him, he thrust out his elephant mask and struck a bizarre pose.

Trying very hard to ignore his painfully awkward god, the man quickly spelled out what had happened below the stadium floor.

"Monsters have escaped! There are open cages in the holding room!"

"… Huh? That is a problem…"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

Ganesha straightened up so fast that spit flew out of his subordinate's mouth. The man continued to give his report. This time he had Ganesha's full attention.

He explained that all of the guards, including Guild employees, were incapacitated in the holding room. All theories pointed to someone outside the Guild as the perpetrator.

Ganesha listened to the tidings with a very calm face and waited until the man had finished before asking his own questions in a controlled, low voice.

"How many monsters escaped… were released?"

"T-thirty two, sir! Including some that are particularly dangerous…"

Ganesha grunted, slowly nodding his head. His elephant mask shifted along with him.

High-pitched voices rose up from the main stage. The tamer opened his palm in front of the dragon's eyes, a signal to stop in place. A deep growl bellowed out from the dragon's gut, but it obeyed. Plopping its body to the ground, it licked the tamer's hand.

The crowd drew a collective breath. Turning to face the audience, the tamer waved to them. Moments later, he received a chorus of cheers and thunderous applause.

"All right, pursue the monsters at large! Also, contact other _Familias_! Ask all of the gods in the stadium for their cooperation!"

"Wait a minute, sir! It's our fault the monsters escaped! If we ask for help, our reputation will be compromised! Other groups might see this as an opportunity…"

"I am Ganesha, God of the Masses! I cannot allow any of the citizens to be harmed! Our treasure is the children's smiles. Throw away your ambition!"

"Y-yes, sir! My apologies!"

"Continue the fair as planned! Don't tell anyone else about this, and don't let the audience leave the stands! There will be panic if word gets out!"

"Understood! What about the perpetrator?"

"Let him go. He didn't release all of the monsters, so he was most likely trying to cause problems. He was after something. This could be a diversion, or perhaps he wanted to see the fair turn to chaos… I hate to say it, but I have to play along with his game. Our first priority is the safety of the people. Priority number one, understood? Now go!"

The man nodded and dashed off to spread the instructions.

_Ganesha Familia_ sprung into action only five minutes after the incident was discovered.

* * *

The white beast on seeing Bell running up to it lifted its chained arm and slammed it on the ground,

"Guaaaaaaa"

"Tsk—"

Reverse flip, sorry ya miss me wait what, another arm coming at Bell for the kill.

"Rrrrooooooooaaaaaarrr"

"FUCK!"

_***bam***_

The impact threw Bell towards the buildings second floor.

"Uwaaaa….."

"Bell! Wha-"

The monster avert its eyes from Bell and grabbed the goddess,

"Help, somebody, arg…"

"Let her go!"

Bursting out from the floor, Bell who was only left with his undershirt launched himself in such a way that it wouldn't even have time to resist.

_***slash***_

He successfully disarmed it's armor also causing it to drop Hestia. Bell quickly carried Hestia and placed her away from the monster and charged at it again.

"Gaaaah"

"Shit!"

Another attempt by the monster to attack him, but failed miserably. Bell was much faster than the monster. He rounded around the monster, he had no other choice, he had to kill it before it hurts other citizens.

_Dammit, I am not strong enough, I need to draw it somewhere else but there isn't much time. _Dodging and counter, only the two things he was currently doing. "Well, gotta risk it."

_One strike. If you can pierce their skin with just one strike, any monster can be slain by an adventurer's blade. _That's what he always said, the hero who saved a number of people.

The beast charged forward, feet pounding the street. The silverback's arms lightly shook in the air. Bell used what time was left to line up his strike, "Here goes," his eyes focused on that one spot.

The "Hestia Knife" blazed purple in his grip. Its newfound strength gathered into the tip of the blade and sent a beam of light into the heavens.

All the power gathered in the blade, all of the strength in his body, every drop of energy went into this thrust.

Muscles tore and bones cracked as Bell's dagger pierced the monster's chest, his body sticking out like a spear.

"YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

**Penetration.**

"Gyaaa!"

The black blade struck the monster's chest head-on.

Bell felt the dagger hit something harder than flesh or bone. It sent a wave up his arm.

The silverback's eyes went wide as it started to fall backward.

"—?!"

Bell's momentum carried him up and over the monster. He made the monster fall on its back…

_***clich***_

"YES!" he stood up as the monster turned into ashes.

Cheers erupted from all around him as they were surprised to see the unbelievable power of a Level One.

"Hestia! Are you okay?"

"Yes I am Bell," she stood up while clearing the dust on her cloth, "You were amazing Bell really!"

"There must be more out there. Hestia give me a status update."

"On it."

Hestia grabbed Bell and went to the narrow streets where people can't see them.

Hestia's fingers were a blur as she muttered under her breath.

She sat behind a kneeling Bell, working furiously to update his status.

Bell had removed his black undershirt. Hestia placed a drop of her blood onto the back of his shirt; one layer of fabric was not thick enough to keep her from writing hieroglyphs into his skin. Her hands did not slow down. She quickly updated his status and was shell shocked.

**Bell Cranel**

**Level 1**

**STR: F 300 - E 400**

**END: H 198 - F 302**

**DEX: G 260 - D 502**

**AGI: C 510 - A 751**

**MAG: I 0**

**SKILL **

**(LIARIS FREESE)**

**Rapid Growth**

**Continued desire results in continued growth**

**Stronger desire results in stronger growth**

**MAGIC **

**()**

Hestia on seeing Bell's advancement taking even more big leaps was silenced, she kept on thinking how is he progressing this quickly.

She closed the status and verbally said: "Bell, I don't know what you've been through but you're almost few steps away from a rankup."

After few seconds Bell asked:"So which stat is high?"

"Agility."

"Kay then gotta make it through the blur."

With that comment from Bell, they exited the alley. Bell interrogated with one of the guild members, seems like nine Hellhounds, five Goblins, four Kobolds, three Fanfirs, seven Orcs and three trolls were on the loose. Leaving Hestia with the guild member for protection he rushed to the top of the roofs of the houses to find the monsters, while Bell was busy searching for the monsters, the hooded figure was surprised and was amazed by the boy's bravery and strength.

* * *

"Loki!"

"Huh?"

Loki spun around after hearing her name. She waved both arms when she recognized three of her own coming toward her.

They had been unsuccessful at getting any real answers from Guild employees, so the three girls came to her for more detailed information.

"To be blunt, some monsters escaped. I hear they're still nearby."

"Wha?! That's bad, really bad!"

"Yep, sure is."

Tiona's sudden surprised outburst had no effect on Loki's calm demeanor.

The girls bombarded her with questions. Loki just smiled and began to issue orders.

"Would the three of ya mind cleanin' up if one of the monsters gets away from Aiz? Oh yeah, it'd be better if we had a good view. I'm goin' up; y'all should, too."

"Miss Aiz is already engaging the monsters in battle?"

"Nah, not yet."

"Haah? Okay, then where is she?"

Loki answered Lefiya's and Tione's questions with one finger.

She pointed to the upper rim of the Coliseum.

"Up there."

Her hair rustled in the wind.

Aiz surveyed the city from the top of the Coliseum, blond hair dancing behind her.

She had been granted special access to the roof of the building. Without question, this spot was the best vantage point in the area. She had a clear view straight down East Main and could easily see the places people were running away from at the same time.

She could've charged out after the monsters roaming the city right away, but this was a battle against the clock.

—Get a bird's-eye view and snipe them from afar. Those were Loki's instructions.

"…There."

While she could see them, Aiz had another ace up her sleeve. There was no wind in the Dungeon, but it could flow freely on the surface. Her Magic, Airiel, gave her a wide spatial sense as the breeze spread out throughout the area. She could find monsters in the blink of an eye.

There were eight beasts in her general vicinity. The Guild's report said that thirty-two had escaped but she was able to feel a few of them. There was no time. Aiz drew the rapier from its sheath at her waist.

"_Awaken, Tempest."_

The wind swirled around her.

The crowd erupted in cheers once again behind her. Taking a step forward, she leaned over the edge.

Lightly pushing off, the wind's support made her float next to the man-made structure for a few seconds.

Her golden eyes locked onto the closest monster. She didn't blink.

She'd take it down at full speed.

"_Lil Rafaga."_

She kicked off the wall.

Aiz careened toward her target like a spear shot out of a cannon.

"?!"

"The hell is that?!"

Impact.

She pierced through the back of her target, a troll in the middle of a backstreet. A group of adventurers had been preparing to take it head-on and had a clear view of her approach. They stood there in awe and surprise as the townspeople who hadn't evacuated yet dove for cover.

_One!_

The troll erupted in a burst of ash. Aiz landed on the stone surface of the street with a huge impact, spun around, and dashed toward an intersection—slicing in half the monster standing there.

"—GaAHHH?!"

_Two!_

No stopping.

Jumping to the top of a three-story building, Aiz ran from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of her next target. She jumped down the moment her eyes caught a glimpse of the beast. She traced its shadow, her rapier piercing the moving target between its shoulder blades.

_Three!_

The time spent on top of the Coliseum had paid off by dramatically reducing the time between kills. Aiz was moving so fast and efficiently that she was reaching the monsters before the other groups dispatched to take care of them even had a chance. All they felt was a gusting breeze before the monster in front of them exploded in a mixture of blood and ash.

Even the robust four-legged deer monster Sword Stag burst into chunks of flesh as she ran by.

_Four!_

A blond typhoon whipped its way around the city.

On the other hand on west-main street.

_Eighteen!_

"_***pant***__...__***pant***__..._" Bell slew most of the monsters, luckily those monsters were Hellhounds, Kobolds and Goblins also his knife also gave him the strength boost. Since Bell had the knowledge of Liaris Freese, without known to Hestia he figured out that he can manipulate his stats for a temporary amount of time about five to ten minutes. Currently, he focused his skill power on strength and agility making him exceptionally faster and stronger than any normal Level One adventurer.

"Phew~ now who's next?"

"—!?"

" E E - ! !"

A woman's scream cut through the air.

"Over there!"

Bell upon hearing the scream instantly rushed towards the direction of the sound.

* * *

"Ah-ha-ha, looks like we won't get a turn."

Tiona grumbled as the three girls came to a stop. They had been jumping from rooftop to rooftop through the residential district in pursuit of the monsters, but Aiz always got there first.

At this rate, none of them would get away from her, and the girls' presence here would be meaningless.

Aiz took off again in another direction. The girl's hair and clothes danced in her wake.

"Feels like we were offered candy but someone else ate it…"

"Oh? You, too?"

"…U-umm, neither of you have weapons or armor. I'm amazed you can say things like that."

In fact, none of them had any of their equipment at all. Large blades and a staff would only block their view in the stands, and Tione didn't want to accidentally sit on one of her knives. Wearing armor to the festival would have been just as uncomfortable.

But little details like that didn't bother the Amazonian twins. They were confident in their ability to fight as long as they could clench their fists, but Lefiya couldn't even fathom the idea.

"…?"

"Tiona?"

"Is something the matter?"

The girl was frowning, senses on high alert. Hunched over and looking left and right, she looked like an alley cat trying to figure out if she should fight or flee.

She looked at her sister and said:

"Is the ground shaking?"

"…Now that you mention it, yes."

"Perhaps it's just…an earthquake?"

But all of them knew that the shaking was much too local to be an earthquake. Only the houses in this area were quivering. Babel Tower was steady as a rock in Central Park. The girls knew something was very wrong.

Their senses had been sharpened from years of Dungeon crawling. Hearing an unexpected sound was a sign of things to come.

Then.

An explosion erupted from street level the moment the girls braced themselves.

"?!"

All three turned in that direction and saw a pyre of smoke rising to the sky less than a block away.

A woman's scream cut through the air.

The smoke and dust wavered as it started to clear. That's when a long, snakelike monster came into view. Its tail was still emerging from between the stones of the broken pavement.

The three girls felt chills run down their spines.

All of their faces turned a shade paler.

"Tione, this one means business!"

"Our turn."

The twins sprinted forward.

Lefiya took off just behind them. The girls raced across the rooftops, jumped, and landed in front of the beast.

"What corner of the Dungeon did Ganesha's guys drag this thing out of…?"

"Is this a new species…?"

The snake's lump of a "head" leaned forward as the last of the smoke cleared.

Pale-green smooth skin covered its long, thin body. The lump at the front of its body didn't have a mouth or eyes or anything else to identify it as a head. In fact, it was shaped more like a sunflower seed. It "looked" at the girls, but they didn't know how it could see them.

A faceless snake stared them down.

"Tiona, we pound it to dust."

"Sounds like fun."

"Lefiya, start casting in case we need backup."

"Y-yes."

Tione issued orders to the others as they took up positions around the monster.

The ground trembled again as the monster shifted its attention to the twins charging at full speed.

A moment later, it used its entire body like a whip planted in the ground to attack the girls head-on.

"!"

The Amazons quickly jumped out of the way.

Stones flew in every direction as the beast's body slammed onto the street. Fragments flew through the surrounding houses and buildings, opening countless holes. Another cloud of smoke and debris filled the ten-meter-wide street.

_Crick, crick, crick._ The monster's body made a truly unnerving sound as it straightened up once again. Tione and Tiona circled around the creature to attack from behind.

"?!"

"What's this thing made of, solid steel?!"

Sharp pain shot through their arms the moment their punches connected.

The monster's skin repelled the attack.

Despite being unarmed, the Amazonian twins were top-class adventurers. Hundreds of thousands of monsters had been literally torn apart by their hands. And yet, neither of them could make a dent in this one. All their powerful fists had done was make the creature flinch. In fact, the creature's armor had inflicted more damage on _them_.

Tiona shook her right hand so fast it was a blur, eyes opened wide in shock.

"—!"

The creature let out a ferocious, angry roar. Perhaps their attacks had done damage after all. It started violently whipping its body around, like an angry bull trying to buck off a rider.

The twins quickly retreated to a safe distance before finding new windows to attack.

"We can't end this with our fists!"

"Ah, what I wouldn't give for a sword right now!"

The girls yelled back and forth as they landed blow after blow against the monster but couldn't seem to land a decisive hit.

The monster was very quick to counterattack, but the girls were too agile. The snake-like creature had turned most of the street into rubble but had yet to make contact with its opponents.

Neither side could gain an advantage. The battle was a stalemate, but neither side was backing down.

Meanwhile, Lefiya had found cover outside of the monster's range and begun casting a spell.

"_Unleashed beam of light, limbs of the holy tree. You are the master archer."_

She had no staff to help focus her magical energy. Therefore, she stuck her arm out straight forward and concentrated her energy into her palm.

The spell valued speed over destructive power. While it couldn't wipe out hordes of enemies, it was more applicable to a wide variety of situations in combat.

Even better, the creature was completely distracted by Tiona's and Tione's attacks. It hadn't even looked in Lefiya's direction. She had plenty of time to focus and wait for an opening.

The elf's voice flowed like a musical melody as a golden magic circle spread beneath her feet.

"_Loose your arrows, fairy archers. Pierce, arrow of accuracy!"_

The spell was complete. All that remained was to concentrate all her magical energy to a single point and pull the "trigger." Suddenly—

The creature turned away from the twins and looked directly at her.

"Huh?"

Lefiya's heart skipped a beat. The creature's quick reaction to the new threat sent a chill down her spine.

The monster that had completely ignored her up until now suddenly had its faceless head pointed directly at her.

The Amazons were already getting out of the way—Lefiya knew at that moment that this creature was sensitive to magical energy.

The realization came a second too late.

A pale-green tendril had shot out of the ground at her feet.

"—ah."

"LEFIYA?!"

"WATCH OUT!"

Before it even penetrated through her stomach, a black blur came and threw her away along with its momentum.

Rolling on the ground till end of the wall causing the dust to show up.

After the dust cleared itself, the Amazon twins saw Lefiya laying over a white-haired adventurer who doesn't even have armor on him and he risked his life to save Lefiya.

"Hey, isn't that-"

"Tiona look!"

The tendril that burst from the ground started to wiggle. At the same time, the creature began to change.

It raised its lump-like head toward the sky. _Crick! Crick!_ Lines appeared—and it _bloomed_.

" ! !"

Its roar reverberated through the streets.

Many petals stretched out to sunlight.

Each of them was an ominous deep red.

They all met in the center, a gigantic mouth lined with fangs. Pollen shook free with every movement.

The flesh inside its mouth was light pink. It's magic stone was visible deep in its throat as the beast turned toward its prey.

"Not a snake…but a flower?!"

Tiona yelled in horror.

The long body was actually a stem. Its faceless lump of a head turned out to be a bud.

While the creature was transforming Bell got hold of Lefiya.

"Are you alright Miss elf?"

"Uh-"

Lefiya opened her eyes, seeing herself lying above an unknown guy made her flush. She moved away and replied.

"Uh… thank you for saving me Mister human… w-wait you're-"

Lefiya took a good look on the boy which made her realize that he is the same guy who gave the werewolf a piece of his mind. Before she even had a chance to ask another question her friend's voice warned her.

"Lefiya, it's coming for you."

The ferocious carnivorous flower turned its terrifying visage toward Lefiya and Bell.

Several more tendrils exploded from the ground as the creature's body slithered toward the elf and the boy.

"GAHHH, outta my way!"

Tione and Tiona's path to their ally was blocked by the tendrils. No matter how many times they knocked one of the pale-green appendages to the ground, it would just rise again.

"UWAAAA"

"LEFIYA!"

Just then Bell immediately princess carried Lefiya and jumped through the tendrils.

_For some reason…_

First, jump avoiding it to hit Lefiya's main organs.

_My back… is getting hot…_

_Hot… Hot… Hot…_

The second jump, whirling through three tendrils with perfect acrobatics.

_It's acting on its own._

A final jump reaching out to the depths of the sky.

_It's guiding me._

Oncoming sphere like tendril, at full force to tear him up.

_Finally…_

Again dodging with a mid-air flip, his right hand reaching up to his knife from its sheath.

_His skill, near my skill slot._

Trusting his natural instincts he threw the knife at full force towards the 'head' of the creature causing it to stuck in its mouth. After safely landing and dropping Lefiya, the boy rushed for the kill with his immense momentum and strength from Liaris Freese, he jumped and caught on to his blade.

"Uuuuuuuuuuwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaa!"

**Penetration**

"Ooooooooooooo"

The creature squealed in pain, the knife burst through its mouth and split it into two halves. Seeing one of it's part being killed, the other part of the creature brought out its head and blasted more tendrils.

_Dammit… my times up!_

His time limit of using the Liaris Freese expired, now he would be only able to use it after a day but currently in this mess, he is the one who is about to be hunted.

All exhausted and sitting tired on his knees, he doesn't have another bit of energy left inside of him. The tendrils still comes at full force.

"No, NO!" Lefiya screamed on seeing Bell almost getting killed. The Amazon sisters even tried to help him but were distracted because of its tendrils.

"Dammit…"

"White-hair… move away."

"It's no use Tiona, he is exhausted."

The incredible actions did cause him to exhaust otherwise he could go on, now his strength and power are disabled, he can't move his body, he has no other way out.

_Is this the end?_

_No._

_I didn't…_

_I…_

The tendrils were just a few meters away from Bell.

"…"

_***cliching* *screech***_

"Uh?"

" !"

The tendrils were deflected, and then a gold and silver streaks flashed before his eyes.

The creature's head was severed from its body. Bell saw sparkling blond hair through his lusterless eyes.

It was Aiz who saved him once again.

* * *

"_***pant***__...__***pant***__... _Bell… Bell… where are you!?"

Hestia left the guild member and went to find Bell. Even if he became strong enough to fight these monsters she was still worried about him. She currently stormed through the places where the people saw a white-haired adventurer slaying huge monsters.

"Ah- Lady Hestia."

A voice reached out to her.

Turning her head, Hestia saw a guild member with pointed ears and spex who came running with her companion. It was Eina and Misha.

"Eh?"

"Lady Hestia what are you doing here, it's dangerous."

"Who are you?"

"I am Eina Tulle, Bell Cranel's guild Advisor."

"Oh so you are his Advisor."

"Yes, you have to hurry up Lady Hestia, this is not a safe place."

"Sorry Miss Advisor, but I have to find Bell, he went to slay these monsters."

"Bell went to do what!?"

The statement of Hestia shocked Eina.

How could a level one slay the monsters who are rated above Level two? He would get killed.

Now Eina was worried about him getting mixed up in this mess, she knows that Bell is well knowledged and mainly focus on getting stronger, but in this case it was rash. He might end up getting killed by those monsters.

The cries of a woman could be heard from a certain direction, to ensure their safety Eina and Misha went to check, Hestia also tagged along with them.

* * *

The monster's final cries echoed through the streets as its head slammed into a stone wall.

Aiz had arrived at the last possible moment, slicing the creature's neck with all her strength. She landed gracefully on what was left of the stone street and turned to face her allies.

The monster's entire body was convulsing. It had been mere seconds away from devouring Bell, but now its headless body had collapsed to the ground next to her. It wriggled and twitched for a few moments before coming to a stop.

"Aiz!"

The tendrils that had been keeping the Amazons at bay fell limp to the street.

The human girl looked around and knew she'd arrived in the nick of time.

Her magic had alerted her to the presence of an unreported monster the moment she had slain the sixth festival escapee. Just like Tiona, Tione, Bell and Lefiya, she rushed into battle. She saw the boy saving the mage from taking the direct hit. Thanks to the wind's assistance, Aiz managed to enter the fray in time to prevent Bell's untimely death.

Aiz saw the twins rushing toward her, but she cast her gaze toward the boy.

Bell was still motionless on the ground.

"Sword… Princess?..."

Bell weakly spoke, looking at her eyes. The girls also got worried to see him like this,

"Bell, what are you doing here?"

"Just… slayed some monsters, heard a voice, rushed here, and you know the rest."

He tried to stand up but couldn't stand, Aiz again gave her assistance to the boy.

"Thanks Aiz, you saved me again."

He said with a smile which made her blush for a moment, suddenly—

The ground in front of her started to crack.

"…!"

Rumbling from beneath the street reached her ears a moment later.

Aiz took a defensive stance as the stones around her shook hard enough to leave the ground.

"Wha—what now?!"

"There's more?!"

Pale-green stalks rose from the dirt as the twins yelled out to each other.

Three of them, all around Aiz.

Rising up like bars of a living cage, the buds opened wide and bared their fangs at the girl trapped inside.

Their moist breath was hot on her face. Aiz frowned and looked at each of her opponents in turn—when, without warning…

_SNAP!_ A spiderweb of cracks ran through the rapier a second before it shattered.

"—"

"Huh—"

"Wha—"

Words left Aiz and the twins as all three girls watched the splinters of metal fall to the ground.

The blade couldn't withstand the combination of Ariel and Aiz's aggressive fighting style. Pushed beyond its limit, the weapon literally fell to pieces.

She had forgotten her own situation in the crucial moment—Aiz slew every monster with the rapier as if she were using Desperate. The last bits of the weapon flashed in the sunlight as they landed at her feet.

"—!"

The carnivorous plants howled.

All three fanged blossoms converged on her at once. Aiz quickly jumped out of the way.

"!"

A small sliver of the rapier still remained attached to the hilt in her right hand. Aiz brought it down on the closest monster.

Pain instantly shot through her wrist as the beast's skin rejected what was left of the sharp edge. The wind's assistance made no difference. Aiz took one look at the creature's undamaged body and gave up trying that again.

"Why are they ignoring us? This time it's Aiz!"

"They can sense Magic…?!"

No matter how many times Tiona and Tione struck the monsters, all three stayed in hot pursuit of the human girl.

Aiz weaved and dodged her way away from Lefiya. The heads took turns tearing through the air and crashing into the street teeth-first. Meanwhile, more tendril-like roots emerged from the ground to protect their bodies against the Amazons' attacks.

"Aiz, get rid of your Magic! They'll follow you until you do!"

"But…"

"We can take them one-on-one!"

The monsters' snakelike bodies slammed into a line of nearby street stalls, sending them flying in their pursuit of the blond girl.

The Amazonian twins called out to Aiz as they jumped in and out of the way of the mobile green stems. The human protested at first but saw the logic in their suggestion and was about to dismiss the wind protecting her.

That's when she saw her.

"—"

She caught a glimpse of a small human figure out of the corner of her eye.

A civilian who hadn't escaped in time.

An animal-person child had been hiding behind the street stalls. Overcome by fear, the girl sat on the stone street, shaking uncontrollably. Their eyes met.

If Aiz tried to dodge the monsters' next attack to the right, their long bodies would crush the girl in an instant.

She made her decision.

Strong wind gathered around her.

Aiz jumped onto the debris on her left.

Fanged jaws came down.

* * *

Lefiya dragged Bell away from the battle field, she made him sit with a walls support and healed his scratches. A voice reached out to him.

"BELL!"

"Hestia? And Eina?"

"Bell, are you okay."

"Ya, I am fine Eina."

Hestia hugged Bell as he was safe, Eina was also giving a smile to him. It didn't last long as the three girls were having problem to handle,

"Miss Elf, you know any attacking spell?"

"Uh, I do have, it would take me a few minutes."

"Okay, Hestia give me a status update," said as he stood up, Hestia with a surprised expression asked: "Why, I recently did."

"Well there must be some changes after slaying eighteen monsters."

The words 'eighteen monsters' strike Eina, Hestia, Misha and Lefiya. Eina still couldn't believe that he slayed eighteen monsters, though she heard that some random adventurer with black shirt and white-hair slewed all the Kobolds, Goblins and Hellhounds on the west-main.

"Besides, something is burning near my skill slot," Bell's ruby-red eyes meet with Hestia's blue ones.

With a nod from Hestia, Bell requested the guild employees to give him cover. As Hestia again poke her finger with the help of his Divine knife, Hestia was surprised to see his status once again.

**Bell Cranel**

**Level 1**

**STR: E 400**

**END: F 302 - F 325**

**DEX: D 502 - D 550**

**AGI:A 751  
**

**MAG: I 0**

**SKILL **

**(LIARIS FREESE)**

**Rapid Growth**

**Continued desire results in continued growth**

**Stronger desire results in stronger growth**

**(HYPER AWARENESS)**

**Body acts on its own when the brain can't process the solution of tackling a particular situation.**

**MAGIC **

**()**

"Quick status please."

"New skill, allows you to act on itself when you can't face the danger in a quick pace."

"Any developments?"

"Yeah, endurance and dexterity increased by 23 and 48 points except strength and agility, don't know why thought."

"Perfect."

The effect of Liaris Freese to boost a stat for temporary amount of time are not able to obtain any attribute points and hence remain the same as they were. Bell was well aware that some minus point would also be their as he is allowed to forcefully boost his stats, but he can't let those boosted stats gain attribute points. Leaving it behind, Bell marched forward,

"Miss Elf, chant the powerful spell you have, I will protect you."

Lefiya came close enough to the monsters that there was no chance her Magic would miss.

Dark blue eyes locked onto the monsters ensnaring her friends and she began to cast.

"_I beseech the name of Wishe!"_

Bell quickly took his defensive position

"_Ancestors of the forest, proud brethren. Answer my call and descend upon the plains."_

_Just like before._

_No matter how strong I try to be, I don't belong!_

_Any efforts to chase them would be futile. _

_Clinging to their coattails would only widen the gap._

This feeling of inferiority tormented her to the point of submission. They were so far above her it was maddening.

The realization broke her spirit. The others were immensely powerful—the golden aura of that girl was strong; she was weak.

_But…!_

She wanted to give chase.

She wanted to help. She wanted to be useful.

If possible, she wanted to be part of the group.

She wanted to become someone who the girls who had accepted her, the girls who had saved her over and over again, would allow to stand side by side with them at the most desperate of times. And now, the boy who risked his life dove in to save her.

_Pathetic…_

_I am pathetic…_

_Being saved by others all the time..._

"!"

She was in range.

"_Connecting bonds, the pledge of paradise. Turn the wheel and dance."_

Spirits break, over and over. Willpower had a limit; nothing was immune.

Only those who didn't know when to give up could mend a broken spirit.

Only the most stubborn of souls could get up time and again, no matter how hard they fell.

"_Come, ring of fairies."_

Lefiya sang.

"_Please—give me strength."_

Her song must reach that girl.

If her feet were too slow, then let her song accompany her into battle.

Even if she didn't turn to listen, as long as Aiz heard her, was put at ease, was protected, she would be satisfied. She'd be part of the battle to slay the enemy threatening her.

Just like a fairy dancing in the forest. Just like a fairy fighting for the one she loved.

A song that was truly her own, reaching out.

This song, this Magic must reach her.

"_Elf Ring."_

Her golden magic circle turned to jade the moment those words left her lips.

"Lefiya?!"

"?!"

Tiona noticed a sudden influx of magical energy. Of course, the monsters trying to sink their fangs into Aiz noticed it as well and were instantly attracted to the stronger magic source.

Aiz's eyes widened in surprise as all three creatures turned away from her.

"—_Harbinger of the end, white snow. Gust before the twilight."_

Lefiya's incantation continued.

"What in the-?"

Bell who was still standing before the elf could sense her determination, the quick change from one spell to another that he had never seen before. His eyes widen as he felt the aura of the fairy itself showing her true nature to them. Even if Bell doesn't have magic, he could easily tell that her already completed spell was warping into something new, a different type of Magic.

_There was a limit to the amount of spells someone could learn._

_Each Status had exactly three spell slots. That meant that even the most skilled mages could learn a maximum of only three types of Magic._

The same was true for Lefiya—but her final spell was special: Summon Burst.

It allowed her to duplicate any elvish magic that she could either recite the incantation for or fully understand the effects of. This incredibly rare spell gave her access to a library of magical attacks. In exchange for the extended summoning time and an incredible amount of Mind energy, she could make any other elf's magic her own, after witnessing it at least once. For that reason, the gods and goddesses of Orario had given her the title of "Thousand Elf."

"So this is the one who could cast any magic spell... Orario's largest familia's elf, who could cast more than thousands of spells, the 'Thousand Elf'," Bell muttered to himself as he was fascinated by the beauty of her magic.

"_Fading light, freezing land."_

She chose to summon the attack magic of the elvish queen, Riveria Ljos Alf.

Lefiya was calling forth a blizzard cold enough not only to keep an enemy from moving but to freeze time itself.

The jade magic circle began to pulse. A second elegant voice joined Lefiya's song.

The two voices harmonized as the magic circle blazed brightly beneath her feet.

"—!"

The three carnivorous plant monsters picked up speed, they launched their fanged blossoms toward the growing source of magical energy.

"Oh no ya don't."

"Ah-ah-ah, I don't think so!"

"Stay down!"

"!"

"?!"

However, Tiona, Tione, Aiz and Bell were faster. Getting between the monsters and their friend and the boy, the three girls unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks to slow them down whereas the boy cut through the tendrils after regaining some of his stamina, though he got scratches from that.

The elf saw her allies come to defend her, but she knew what was coming her way. She leaned forward.

A spear-like tendrils burst out of the ground in front of her.

Pain shot through her legs, shoulders, and head.

Wounds were open and bleeding, but it would take more than that to kill her. Her dark blue eyes shot open and she finished casting her spell.

"_Blow with the power of the third harsh winter—My name is Alf!"_

The magic circle rapidly expanded.

Her lips were illuminated by blinding jade light as she said:_"Wynn Fimbulvetr."_

An arctic blast filled the street.

Aiz holding Bell and the twins jumped out of the way at the last possible second as chilling white winds overtook the monsters. Their skin, their petals, even the sound escaping from their fanged jaws froze in place. A layer of frost overtook all three of the monsters.

Three overgrown flowers were frozen in time. They stood like statues caged in ice that would never melt. The spell turned the surrounding area into a winter wonderland, the streets a skating rink surrounded by buildings and debris that were frozen solid.

Wind whipped fractals of ice through the air, making the area sparkle like the inside of a snow globe under the bright midday sun.

"Nice, Lefiya!"

"Never had much of a green thumb anyway. See? It's black and blue thanks to these weeds."

Tiona came bounding toward the elf, all smiles, while her sister vented frustration. Both walked past Lefiya and up to two of the frozen monsters.

Neither of them hesitated the moment they arrived in front of the deep-blue beasts. They even took the same pose.

"!"

"Take thisss—!"

Both spun into the air and slammed their heels into the monsters.

Their wheat-colored skin was a blur on impact. Cracks raced across the surface of the ice before the carnivorous plants collapsed into a pile of shards.

"Wow, Loki familia sure is something."

"Hm?..."

After destroying the plant monster, the sisters went back to Aiz and Lefiya, meanwhile Hestia gave a big hug to Bell, Eina and Misha were surprised to see a young adventurer who is just a Level one fought like a high class adventurer.

"Aizuu."

"…Loki?"

Aiz turned away from the frigid massacre unfolding at the hands of the Amazons to search for the voice that called out to her.

She found two human figures standing on top of the remains of an item shop. One of them was a little animal-person girl who looked familiar; the other was Loki. Her goddess was holding the young girl in a reassuring one-armed hug at her side.

Loki had a sword in her other arm. A moment later, she tossed it to Aiz.

"This is…"

"Hnn, kinda borrowed it from that shop over yonder."

She pointed to the remains of a street stand that had been destroyed by the monsters.

Strips of steel sparkled beneath the wood debris. It used to sell weapons.

That morning, the two of them had visited a street stand just like it.

"'Kay, have at it."

One look at Loki's smile made Aiz forget to ask her when she'd found the little girl. Instead, she returned her goddess's smile with a grin of her own.

"…"

"HESTIA!"

"!?"

The sudden scream from Bell startled the girls along with Loki.

"Eh? What is itty-bitty doin here?"

She collapsed on the ground.

"Dammit."

Bell grabbed the "Hestia Knife" before running to her aid, his face pale and breaking out in a cold sweat.

Her light body was limp in his arms, her eyes closed. Bell's face turned yet another shade of white. Bell gently picked her up and ran out of the field.

Loki still with a puzzled face looked as Aiz getting worried about the boy, she decided to distract her,

"Aizuu, their might be more monsters out there."

"I will take my leave."

"Wait, sword princess."

Another Guild Employee entered, telling them the good news that all the monsters have been eliminated by a certain rabbit looking guy. The news made the group widen their eyes but it also left a smile on Aiz's face.

* * *

"I hurt Hestia… but what's done is done."

Came a voice from the roof of a house overlooking the dead-end road.

Freya was talking to herself. She had been watching Bell from the best "seat" on Daidaros Street.

Her silver eyes locked onto Bell as he held Hestia tightly against his chest.

At first, she was disappointed that things hadn't gone as planned. But she smiled up at the blue sky.

"Congratulations. You still have a long way to go, but… Hee-hee, yes. You were very heroic."

Freya watched Bell's white head as the boy ran down the road, making a beeline for the exit. She squinted her eyes.

Freya turned to leave, her silver hair sparkling in the sunlight.

"Let's play again, Bell."

* * *

_Click._ A door closed.

Bell walks up to the girl who came out of the room, Syr.

"S-Syr, how is she? How is Hestia doing?"

"She's all right. Just exhausted."

"Exhausted… so that means…?"

"Yes, she'll be just fine."

The sun was setting outside the window.

Bell was on the second floor of The Hostess of Fertility.

After he ran off from the field he happened to run into Syr. She suggested bringing the unconscious Hestia to the bar.

People were starting to calm down after the eventful Monsterphilia. Damage had been kept to a minimum by _Ganesha Familia_ and the Guild's quick response. There were no injuries, let alone deaths, among the fairgoers. In fact, Bell was the only one hurt this afternoon.

The one responsible for today's incident was still at large, and there were no leads. This was because all of the _Ganesha Familia_ and Guild members who'd been attacked couldn't remember anything, as if they had been cursed by a witch's magic. The case was closed without knowing what the perpetrator wanted.

All was quiet on the second floor of the Hostess, away from the bar below. Hestia was resting in a room while Syr and Bell stood in the hallway. The setting sun shone through a west-facing window, filling the wooden hall with reddish light.

"That's such a relief… She just collapsed. I didn't know what to do…"

"Hmm, well done today, Bell."

She smiled at the visibly drained boy and timidly started talking.

"I'm very sorry about today. If I hadn't forgotten my wallet, you wouldn't have gotten caught up in that mess…"

"Yeah, it's your fault," Bell bluntly replied making her feel guilty.

"But it's a good thing that nobody got hurt."

After a few long moments, her face relaxed. Bell was relieved.

"But today, so many people were talking about you. How brave that adventurer, how brave you were."

"Ehhh…"

"I think so, too. Actually, I saw you fighting the silverback on Main Street for a moment…"

"So you were there, why didn't you showed up back then?"

"If I showed up then I couldn't have seen your brave side."

"Ugh…"

Syr giggled when she saw his face, her light gray hair shaking.

"Even so, you looked really good."

"Eh?"

"… I probably shouldn't say this, but seeing you face down those monsters… I fell for you at that moment."

She whispered those words into his ear behind her hand. Bell's eyes shot open.

Syr stepped back, her face tinted red by the evening sun. A beautiful smile bloomed on her lips.

"I was asked to assist at the bar, so I will excuse myself now."

"Eh, um, yeah…"

"Don't worry about the bed, she can use it. Well, then, Bell. Until next time."

_Thump, thump, thump_. Bell was left speechless as he watched Syr walk to the end of the hall and down the stairs. He scratched his head.

"Was she teasing me…? Or was she serious…?"

Her eyes had looked a bit like she was playing a cruel joke, or maybe that was just the sunlight. He didn't know what to believe. Well she might be serious after all he's the son of the harem guy.

Bell did his best to get his cheeks to cool down before walking over to the room where Hestia was sleeping.

_Maybe I should let her rest…_, he thought while looking at the number plate on the door.

_Thump!_ The sound of something hitting the floor reached his ears moments later.

"?!"

Bell burst into the room. He found Hestia on the floor, as if she had rolled over and fell straight down.

However, she landed facedown in a very comical, unladylike pose.

He ran over to her and kneeled next to her, picked her up under her shoulders, and held her.

"Hestia, you okay? What happened to you?"

"Ah, Bell… It's nothing… I tried to get up, but I wasn't strong enough…"

"Not strong enough…? I heard that you were exhausted. Just what were you doing for the past three days?"

Hestia's eyes wandered off.

"_Dogeza_."

"Do-ge-what?"

"I did _dogeza_ in front of a stubborn goddess who refused to nod her head up and down for thirty hours in a race of endurance…"

"Are you talking about Hephaistos? And wait for thirty hours…?! Just what is _dogeza?_ Some kind of torture?!"

"No, a technique. It's the technique to end all techniques."

Hestia kept muttering "technique" over and over; she wasn't making sense. Bell broke out in a cold sweat. _What kind of hellish technique is that?_

"I knew. You are always going to Hephaistos's shop and looking into that window. I don't think this is the blade you wanted, but this is the only one of its kind in the world. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but… Hephaistos's weapons are extremely expensive… What about the money?! You still haven't told me yet."

"It's okay. Everything has been taken care of."

Hestia's voice was weak, her eyes cloudy.

She looked at Bell with a weak and weary face but smiled softly.

"You want to get stronger, right?"

"!"

"I couldn't just sit on the sidelines. Being supported, being saved all the time… I just couldn't put up with it."

"..."

"So just like you promised me that you won't leave me. I promise I will help you more than anything, more than anyone… Because I love you."

Bell's eyes widened, Hestia's cheeks turned light pink as she smiled from ear to ear and collapsed again. He held Hestia and muttered to himself:

"The confession you made… I still don't know how you mean it. As a parent-child relation or something else."

He hugged her closer wearing a smile,

"But still… Thank you, Hestia."

* * *

_Many happy people all in one place. A young adventurer had overcome his fear and slain the monsters. He'd gone from a laughingstock at the bar to being celebrated as a hero, who saved a number of people. Nobody knew his name but his appearance like that of a rabbit, white-hair and red-eyed young man, the only thing that they saw. His appearance and bravery came to be known as the Level One Hero. But still, this young man has to keep moving on to reach up to them._

_**The Tale of Bell Cranel has just begun...**_


	7. Episode 6

**Episode 6- Crozzo's Armor and Supporter**

The incident of monsterphilia ended with no casualties except Bell being hurt by the monsters. When Eina forced him to explain what Bell has been hiding from her, Bell can't help but tell everything. He told her how many times he was out of resources, in near-death situations, making foolish decisions and so on. As she heard him, her eyes start to tear up, her body starts to tremble, the anger starts to overflow. After Bell finished, Eina burst out with anger and tears.

"BELL, YOU IDIOT! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO RISK YOUR LIFE LIKE THAT."

"I…. I am sorry Eina."

Bell said with his head down, making Eina cry is the biggest guilt he did. After calming herself Eina wiped her tears and said to him.

"Bell, please don't do such recklessness."

"P-Promise."

"I can't take that like this."

"S-So, how can I make myself clear."

"You are not entering the dungeon for the whole week."

The words from Eina shot Bell. He dissed off on the table. Eina then cleared him that with his current level he can slay the monsters but he needs more knowledge about them. So she planned to keep regular lessons for him.

A week has passed, Bell almost gained the knowledge for dealing in the middle floors of the dungeons. As Bell was about to leave, Eina stopped him at guild entrance.

She wasn't looking at his body; she was looking at the poor excuse for armor that was covering it.

"Bell."

"Yes?"

"Do you have any plans tomorrow?"

"…Huh?"

* * *

A day has passed since our conversation. I'm standing by myself in a half-circle-shaped park built just off of North Main. Waiting for Eina. Yep, I'm meeting her here.

Yesterday Eina asked if I had time to go buy some new armor with her. Seemed like she thought my current set wouldn't be enough. Once again, she's going out of her way to help me. She's looking out for me.

…_Still, to anyone who didn't know the details, this really would seem like a date…_

All of the conditions are there.

Conditions like "Let's meet at ten in front of the bronze statue in the park!" and "Just the two of us!"

_Whoa! Whoa!_

"Hey! Bell!"

"!"

And now the time has come.

The owner of the pretty voice comes jogging up to me waving her hand, her figure growing in my line of sight.

"Good morning! Aren't you early? Was the idea of buying new armor that exciting?"

"Ah, no, I just reached here."

"Well, I was excited, too. I know this is your shopping trip, but I'm eager to get started."

Eina is wearing clothes I've never seen her in before. Usually, she's in a perfectly pressed Guild uniform, but today she's in a cute, lacy white blouse and a short skirt. She's got a good sense of fashion. I'm used to seeing her in guild uniform all the time, but today she seems more grown-up. How do I put it…she's practically glowing.

Yes, she's very cute.

"Do you think I'm strange for getting excited about buying possibly dangerous equipment?"

"No, I don't think so."

Eina is probably a contender for the first or second most popular Guild member among all adventurers. I wonder if all half-elves are like her…

"Ahem. Anyway, Bell?"

"Hm… what is it?"

"What do you think? Seeing me out of uniform? Anything to say?"

She looks up at me with the eyes of a mischievous child.

_Where is this coming from?_

_Is she taking this as a date?_

"You look like a grown-up."

"Hey! I'm nineteen, you know!"

Eina puffed her cheeks like a little girl, seeing this Bell giggled making Eina looking at him.

"Haha, I am kidding. You look prettier than before."

A blush appeared on Eina's face. Well ignoring it she continued.

"It's been a while since I've been out shopping like this."

"Really? I'm surprised that people can leave someone like you alone…especially guys."

"Hee-hee, you're good, Bell. But it's true. I've been busy at work ever since I started at the Guild."

The sky is a bright, clear blue. The weather is very calming. I follow Eina southward on North Main, a cooling breeze at my back.

The main streets are always busy at this time of day. It's difficult to get anywhere. Employees of stores both large and small stand outside trying to bring in customers. I could swear the ground shakes when a dwarf yells out his store's special deals.

A few of them call out to Eina (apparently mistaking me for a manservant) but she just waves them off with a friendly grin. One animal-person clerk looks really happy when she flashes him a smile.

"So where are we going today? If we keep going this way, we'll end up at the Dungeon…"

"Would you be angry if I say 'Not knowing is part of the fun'? Okay, I'll tell you."

Orario has eight main streets all extending out from the core. There's one that goes north, one that goes northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest. If you think about it from a bird's-eye view, there are four thick lines intersecting in the middle of the city.

The Dungeon is right where they all come together.

But on the ground level, the main streets all meet at Central Park. It's right in front of us now. In the center of the park is an overwhelmingly large building. It blocks more and more of my view of southern Orario as I wait for Eina's answer.

"Our destination is…the Dungeon."

"Eh?"

"The tower above the Dungeon—Babel, to be more specific."

Babel Tower functions as a lid over the Dungeon itself. It's that big building casting a massive shadow over western Orario right now.

Being a "lid," Babel is used to monitor and control the Dungeon entrance.

Managed by the Guild, it's a building that adventurers see very often.

"Babel?... uhh sorry but could you make me clear?"

"You really are clueless, aren't you? But you've only been an adventurer for a few weeks, so I guess it can't be helped. Right, then, you're gonna get some useful information today."

I remember all too well her Spartan style of "summarizing" useful information about the Dungeon.

Praying that it won't get as intense as that time, I brace myself for the incoming lecture.

"Well, there are shower rooms for adventurers as well as public facilities inside the tower under the Guild's control. Did you know there are a cafeteria, hospital, and even an Exchange in Babel?"

"Huh? I thought that the Exchanges at the Guild's main office and branches were the only ones."

"Nope, there is one here, too. But it is a little understaffed, so I hear the lines get a bit ridiculous. Anyway, one more thing. The Guild rents out open space to shops and merchants, and that's where we are going today."

Okay, now I get it. The reason we've come this far is that we're going to visit one of the equipment shops in Babel Tower.

"Babel was built right on top of the Dungeon, so naturally all the shops there cater to adventurers. Many of them are run by mercantile _Familias_ that specialize. I imagine you've heard of _Hephaistos Familia_?"

"Yes, the smithing Familia of Orario.".

"How much do you know about _Hephaistos Familia,_ Bell?"

"Well, um, I know that _Familia_ makes very high-quality weapons and equipment that all adventurers want…"

"Yep, that's absolutely right. As it happens, we are going to a shop run by _Hephaistos Familia_ today."

"Wait for WHAT!?"

It's the loudest I've yelped all day. Eina looks at me like a kid who just pulled a prank and I was her victim.

I hurry up to her, hoping for some kind of explanation. But she just steps to the side and reveals a wide-open space at the base of Babel Tower behind her.

"We're here…"

Central Park.

It makes a perfect circle with the massive white tower in the center. With trees planted all over the place and fountains built into the ground, it really does feel like a park.

Back on North Main, all sorts of people mingle together as they go about their business. But most people in Central Park are carrying big swords and long spears—they're adventurers. The truly scary thing is that even though there are enough adventurers here to make my eyes spin, Central Park doesn't feel full at all.

"Eina, what is going on? Do I look like an adventurer who could buy anything from _Hephaistos Familia_?!"

"Not knowing is part of the fun! You'll see when we get there."

"Ya know, I've been sweating bullets since we met up this morning! I can't take much more of this!"

She looks right at my strained face and prying eyes but is utterly unmoved by them. She won't even slow down.

"Here we go! Man up and stop complaining!"

Eina grabs my hand and pulls me into the tower which took me by surprise.

As we weave through the crowd, I can't help but feel like all the male adventurers about to go into the Dungeon are looking at me like they want to murder me…

I take a deep breath and look up at the tower to calm down.

"Eina, If you could. Please let go off my hand..."

"Since we're about to pay one of the top forging _Familias_ a visit, it would be a good idea to know a little about the smiths themselves, right? Bell, do you know about 'Advanced Abilities'?"

I guess she's going to ignore my bumbling request. I'm a man, but I can't even get her to listen.

I do my best to shrink behind her, shaking.

"You mean Rank up?"

"Yes, You know about this?"

"Uh… I've been with another god outside Orario so he thought me a thing or two."

_Well, I knew it as I am the so-called grandson of the lord of thunder. Not to mention the last standing Hero of his familia._

"Rank up."

It is a certain stage which allows the adventurer to reach up to the heights that no normal being can. Once their attributes level up creating a new layer for new attributes, the adventurer gets an Advanced Ability which helps him.

It is also said: _Any mere mortal can reach to the realm of gods, this depends on his level._

"The kinds of Advanced Abilities available for someone to choose are predetermined, but one option is called 'Forge.'"

Forge, it's the basic ability for a blacksmith for making new weapons and armor. Forge is necessary to become a smith in today's world. Also, apparently more than half of _Hephaistos Familia'_s smiths have it.

To put it another way, more than half of them are level two or above. That's a very strong group.

"Smiths have been around since ancient times, of course. Most of their works are antiques now, but there are some that can still be used. But blessed smiths with the Forge ability can add special properties to the items they create."

"Special properties…?"

"An ability unique to that individual weapon. Do you know how adventurers can get skills on top of their statuses? Smiths with the Forge ability can give skills to weapons. For example, blessed smiths can make a sword that will never break or will always be sharp. If they were just shaping metal, they couldn't do that, right?"

Very true, I nod in agreement.

"There are also weapons that produce something very similar to magic—like shooting flames when swung, things like that."

"Huh?!"

"I thought this was common knowledge…Anyway, weapons that can produce magic-like effects are referred to as 'magic blades.' Only a few smiths can make them."

I swallow audibly. What this all means is that if I can get my hands on one of these magic swords, I would have the power to take on experienced swordsmen. But still, the swordsmanship depends on the swordsmen not the sword. Well, my motto is, one must rely on his skills rather than using the strength from external means, but still, I wanna give it a try.

"A quick warning—'magic blades' have a limit. Once they have used up all their energy, they break. And they're not as powerful as spell-based magic from a magic-user."

Eina adds that they're both disposable and extremely expensive, a smirk on her face.

I guess that means that most adventurers don't use magic swords. I'm sure that it's not due to lack of popularity. But taking a weapon that will break into the Dungeon, where anything can happen, wouldn't make me feel safe. Yeah, I bet that's why most people resist the urge to get one.

Well, that and the price tag.

"Um, Eina. Are there Advanced Abilities other than Forge?" As an adventurer, I have to ask. I'll be going down that path someday. I will rank up!

"Well, many adventurers gain abilities called Heavy Guard or Magic Control. Other than that, there is also an ability called Enigma."

"Enigma…?"

"Yes, now how do I explain this…It allows someone to perform a special trick—a miracle, if you will. A 'Divine Art' might be a good way to put it. Do you know about the Philosopher's Stone, Bell?"

"Are you talking about the stone which gives eternal life?"

"Wow, you do know a lot of things Bell."

"Well it's just."

_My grandpa gave me a good lecture in history. Turns out it was helpful after all._

"This happened a long, long time ago, but a member of a Familia with the Enigma ability succeeded in making the Philosopher's Stone. But there is more to this story…You see, the maker took the Philosopher's Stone to the god of the Familia…The god took the stone in his hand and smashed it to pieces on the floor in front of him…the source of eternal life."

"…"

"According to the story, the god looked at the maker's shell of a face after that and laughed so hard he pulled a muscle in his stomach."

Yeah, this is the cruelest myth I have ever heard.

When I say myth, I'm talking about a story about the gods that have a completely appalling ending.

I'm so lucky to have met Hestia first…

"The Philosopher's Stone was created by accident, and all attempts to recreate it failed. No one after the maker mastered the Enigma skill, so his Philosopher's Stone became a legendary item."

"Mastered…? So these abilities need experience to grow, like a status?"

"Not quite. The abilities do have an S to I grade, but raising the level doesn't require experience like a status. It takes much more to raise the grade and is very difficult. It's nothing like raising basic Ability."

That sounds really hard…but I don't actually say what I'm thinking. I have the advancement skill hidden with me. I can feel it but can't use it until I rank up.

Grandpa told me that I am unique, the first child to ever get a skill before rank up, "Swordsmen".

He has sealed it for now but it will appear after I rank up along with a new ability skill.

We arrive at the front gate of Babel Tower during our conversation. "Gate" might not be the best word because the ground floor of the tower has many arches all the way around the circumference, to allow any number of adventurers to enter from any direction at any time. Passing through the nearest arch, a pale blue and white lobby opens up in front of us.

The entrance to the Dungeon is right below our feet.

"From here…?"

"We go up. The shops in Babel start on the fourth floor."

The first floor of the tower is, as I said, a massive lobby. The community center is on the second. We climb up to the third, Eina pulling me by my hand to the middle of another lobby. I catch a glimpse of the Exchange out of the corner of my eye. But I can't see any stairs.

There are several wide, circular pedestals on the floor of the lobby. Eina leads me up onto one of them. A clear tube of something clear rises up around us. I swear it looks like glass…

Eina reaches for some kind of control panel. The instant she touches it, the pedestal leaves the floor and begins floating in midair.

It goes up and up…no, it's growing upward!

"?!"

"A-ha-ha, I was the same way the first time."

It seems the pedestal and the glass are parts of a floor-transport device…Most likely this is another magic-stone device.

That means that there must be a large number of magic stones beneath the pedestal, and their energy is being converted into the lift. Eina takes a look at my surprised face and explains that the magic stones needed to be changed out after a certain amount of time. This thing doesn't just work forever, it turns out.

In no time at all, we reach the fourth floor of the lobby. The community center is on the second. We climb up to the third, Eina pulling me by my hand to the middle of another lobby. I catch a glimpse of the Exchange out of the corner of my eye. But I can't see any stairs.

There are several wide, circular pedestals on the floor of the lobby. Eina leads me up onto one of them. A clear tube of something clear rises up around us. I swear it looks like glass…

Eina reaches for some kind of control panel. The instant she touches it, the pedestal leaves the floor and begins floating in midair.

It goes up and up…no, it's growing upward!

"?!"

"A-ha-ha, I was the same way the first time."

It seems the pedestal and the glass are parts of a floor-transport device…Most likely this is another magic-stone device.

That means that there must be a large number of magic stones beneath the pedestal, and their energy is being converted into a lift. Eina takes a look at my surprised face and explains that the magic stones needed to be changed out after a certain amount of time. This thing doesn't just work forever, it turns out.

In no time at all we reach the fourth floor of Babel.

"The shop I have in mind is a few more floors up, but as long as we're here, let's take a look around. You want to see the top-of-the-line equipment too, right, Bell?"

The entire floor is filled with weapon and armor shops. I'll admit I get excited looking at all the sharp, shiny things. I nod to Eina as we step off the pedestal.

There is only one sign on the whole floor: Ἥφαιστος. Don't tell me…all the shops here are part of _Hephaistos Familia_…?"

"I see you noticed the logo. Actually, all the shops from the fourth floor up to the eighth floor are owned by _Hephaistos Familia._"

…The entire floor…Just how powerful is _Hephaistos Familia_?!

By the way, they also have a shop close to my and Hestia's home on Northwest Main.

The short sword in the window…is worth 8 million vals. That's enough to buy several houses.

Stepping up to the display window of the closest shop, a crimson sword enshrined there catches my eye. I go up to take a look at the price…

…_Thirty million vals?!_

All the blood leaves my face. I lift my hand to my forehead, trying to steady myself. I can tell that next to me, Eina is giggling to herself.

I have a Hephaistos-made knife on me right now; it was a gift from Hestia. She told me it was the only one in the world…How much did it cost?!

"Welcome to our store! Can I help you find anything today?"

The store clerk must have seen me staring at the sight of the crimson sword. She comes up to greet us in a bright, cheerful voice.

The girl is short, but she looks extremely professional, with a very well-rehearsed smile glued onto her glowing face. Twin black ponytails bouncing around her head make her look very cute indeed.

She wears a deep red apron-style uniform, which is being pushed up by breasts much too big for her body type, jiggling with her every movement…

"…Um…Hestia? What are you doing?"

"…"

Her smile instantly freezes.

So this is why. I _thought_ she'd been more tired than usual recently. She's been working here…!

"Why are you here?! You don't need two part-time jobs! Didn't I just say that we can start saving money because I'm going deeper into the dungeon?!"

"Listen closely, Bell. You are going to forget that you saw me here and quietly leave right now…! It's too soon for you to be here!"

"It's too soon for you, too! Aren't you getting thirty vals an hour at your other job?!"

"Don't make fun of my career in potato snacks!"

"Forget about that! Come on, let's go can't be seen like this, it's embarrassing! Are you trying to become a laughingstock?"

"Let go of me, Bell! Let go now! Even gods have to throw away their pride when times get tough!"

"And when are times tough for gods?! listen to what I'm saying!"

I grab her right arm with both of my hands, turn, and try my best to pull her out of there.

Why in the world is Hestia being so stubborn…?!

I can feel Eina's wide-eyed gaze on my back, but now is no time to worry about that.

"Hey! New girl! Stop playing around! Back to work!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Huh?"

_Boing!_ The goddess twists out of my grip and bounds away.

I watch her twin ponytails dance behind her for a moment before she disappears into the back of the shop.

"Hestia…"

"W-well, just as interesting a goddess as ever, I see?" Eina doesn't know how to respond to my pitiful voice, and she forces a smile.

I feel a bit dejected, but I then remember I'm not alone today. I force myself to look up.

…I'll forget this trouble with Hestia, for now.

"Sorry, you had to see that…"

"It's all right. Shall we go upstairs?"

I nod lightly a few times as the still-awkwardly-smiling Eina leads me back to the pedestal.

We board the "elevator" (as the magical lift turns out to be called) and arrive on an upper floor soon after.

"This is us."

"We're here…"

Eina pushes open the glass to reveal another level inundated with shops just like the fourth floor.

Swords, spears, axes, war hammers, blades, bows and arrows, shields, armor, and many other pieces of equipment are on display at all the shops on this wide floor. The only difference is that there are more customers—more adventurers—here.

That thought makes me flinch for a moment.

"You're thinking that you don't have a place shopping at _Hephaistos Familia_'s shops, aren't you, Bell?"

I'm not in the best mood, and I shoot her a look saying _it's a little late for that now_. But then I nod and agree with her.

Eina looks down on me like a queen over a servant, grinning.

"Actually, that's not completely true. But, seeing is believing! Follow me."

Eina guides me into the nearest shop—a spear shop by the looks of it.

Leading me to the very back wall of the shop, she stops in front of a spear rack. All of the combat-ready spears stand on end, blades facing the ceiling.

Just as I start thinking _Here we go again_, my eyes catch the price tag: 12,000 vals.

"H-huh…?"

I might be able to afford this…

"Hee-hee, surprised, aren't you?"

"W-well, yes, but why?"

This price is unbelievable. Shocking, even. Eina sounded like she was awfully pleased when she asked if I was surprised, too.

I'm still staring at the spears, though.

"What sets _Hephaistos Familia_ apart from other smiths is that they have even their most inexperienced members make items and sell them in their shops."

"Is that…okay? I mean, compared to the masters…"

"Of course, those weapons are not sold next to ones made by master smiths. But the new smiths get valuable business experience and they can sell their work directly to adventurers. It's a real plus for the younger smiths to get feedback—both the good and the really harsh. It all helps motivate them to make better and better weapons."

I'm a bit surprised, but then again it makes perfect sense. Rather than being restricted to experimenting or practicing, getting comments and criticism from people in the real world would be a lot more motivating.

"It's good for the stores, too. They can sell these weapons to very low-level adventurers and get more customers."

So they can bring in newbies along with the all-stars. Once the newbies get stronger, they can afford better weapons from the same shop. Eina says it's like a pyramid.

The shops draw in as many of the new adventurers as they can to build as many relationships as possible. When the adventurers level up, they become regulars of that shop and buy high-level weapons.

That's what's special about Orario. The large population of adventurers brings out all kinds of benefits and possibilities.

"The most important thing here is that new adventurers and new smiths form bonds early in their careers. Doesn't matter if it's weak or strong."

_What do you mean by that?_ I ask with my eyes.

"New smiths are discovered by new adventurers through the items the smith makes. If an adventurer remembers the smith's name, they might have a client. Very talented—but unpolished—smiths can be hidden in the rough of the business, just waiting for an adventurer with an eye for quality to find them. They might not become close friends, but adventurers who have used their items in combat felt their armor on their skin, will give the most valuable feedback."

…Makes sense when she puts it like that.

At the very least, I feel that way about my dagger and light-armor provisions from the Guild.

"Smiths can bring out special properties in the items they make if they are forging them for someone in particular, especially if there is a strong bond between the smith and the adventurer…Or at least they claim."

Eina slightly sticks out her tongue. I freeze in place.

Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined Eina doing something so…childish.

"Kind of got sidetracked a little bit there, but what I'm saying is that there are items made by _Hephaistos Familia_ that are in your price range. How much do you have on you right now, Bell?"

"Um, should be right about ten thousand vals."

"I wonder if we'll be able to find you a full set of new armor. Like I said before, there are diamonds in the rough made by raw ore smiths. We just need to dig them up! Let's go!"

Eina seems more excited than I am. It's all I can do to force a smile now that I've come to my senses a bit.

She leads me to a shop that has a sign outside equipped with armor and a shield. Eina suggests, with a peppy smile on her face, that we split up to cover more ground. So I set foot inside without her.

The view from my first step inside the establishment is that it's like nothing I've ever seen before.

_Just look at these! Were they really all made by lower-level smiths? Everything looks amazing!_

Looking into the forest of armor is the highlight of the day so far.

Pure white mannequin chests wear many different shapes and kinds of armor. It doesn't matter that the head and arms are missing, the chest looks very dignified. A few full-bodied mannequins are equipped with the works. I can clearly see myself wearing those armored plates in battle.

Shield and battle helmets on shelves line the walls. Some look impenetrable, some are simply gorgeous—there's something for everyone.

Male and female customers fill the shop, all looking for a piece of armor that suits them. It looks like you can try on the armor, too.

_I think…I'm starting to get a little excited…! What do I do now?…Huh?_

As I take in the sights and sounds, my eyes are drawn to a spot at the back of the shop.

It's the most ordinary-looking corner of the store. There's a box filled with equipment pieces just sitting there.

Are they…armor pieces?

The rest of the store's stock is equipped on the mannequins, so are these junk boxes? They're just lying here like a pile of trash. Wait, there is another box next to it, and a few more after that. I guess these must be the items that the Familia deemed not worth putting on display.

I'm sure they wouldn't sell them if they were faulty, but maybe there are some imperfections or something like that.

"Ah, yep, they're for sale…"

There is a price tag on the bottom of each box: 5,700 vals, 6,800 vals, 3,900 vals…All the prices are written in red ink by different people, but all of them are quite cheap.

The full set of armor that I saw toward the front of the store is 15,000 vals, and my current light armor from the Guild is 5,000…Yep, I've probably got the right idea. These are in my price range.

Then again, Eina would say that this is something that's going to save my life, so I shouldn't be stingy.

"…?"

I suddenly stop in front of a box in the middle of the row.

This armor—its spirit is calling to me from within the line of boxes.

Silver. Rather than having a reddish tint or darker black hues, this one shines like pure white metal.

No flashy colors or fancy decorations, it looks like it just finished cooling from the forge. It's tugging at my heartstrings.

I bend down to get a closer look; it's light armor.

There are knee guards and a small breastplate designed to fit snugly against the chest. Under those pieces I find wrist and elbow guards, along with a plate that covers the lower back. It's built to protect the bare minimum of the body to allow for maximum mobility. Kind of a patchwork armor.

Lifting up the breastplate, I discover it's very light—much lighter than my provision armor from the Guild. Just hitting it a few times doesn't tell me much, but I think it's sturdier than my Guild armor, too. At least it feels like it.

It's just my size…This is almost scary.

I think I'm in love.

It might be because this is the first one I've picked up.

But suddenly all I can see is myself wearing this armor.

I hold the breastplate up to the light for a closer look. Flipping it around, there it is: the maker's signature is on the inside. "шεʟғ Cяσzzσ."

Looks like this wasn't worthy of the "Ἥφαιστος" name.

_Welf Crozzo…_

I'll remember that.

My brain snatches the name from the armor like a hawk snatches a fish out of water. It's a smith's name I'll be looking for from here on out.

Eina told me about the bond between adventurers and smiths. So this is what it feels like.

I'm already set on this light armor. I want to buy it, right now.

Let's just look and see how much it is…Gasp! 9,900 vals!

That's almost all of my money…

"Hey-y, Bell! I found something really good! A protector and leather armor! They're a little expensive, but it would be a good idea to get at least one of…Oh? Did you find something?"

Eina has returned. She bends down over me, an unimpressed look on her face.

Maybe she doesn't like it because it's being sold in a box, as though that's somehow proof of its poor quality.

"…Are you getting that?"

"Yes. I'm buying this."

"Haaa…You really have a thing for light armor, don't you? Just when I found some good things for you, too…"

"I'm sorry."

Eina sees my smile, as I didn't have anything else I could say. She forces a smile and waves it off. "Don't worry about it. You are the one who's going to wear it. I do want you to think about your safety a bit more…but if you've decided to buy this, that's good enough for me."

"…Thank you."

I stand back up again and pick up the box.

After making my way to the counter and paying for it, I only have 100 vals left…

Today has gotten very expensive.

"Huh…?"

Eina's gone. I turn around with my new armor in a box strapped to my back, looking for her.

Just when I start to wonder where she could've gone, I find her. She'd been standing right behind me, a sparkling smile on her face. Maybe she'd just come out of the shop?

"Bell, here."

"…What?"

She leisurely hands me a long, narrow vambrace.

It fits just over the wrist and extends up the arm to the elbow. I can tell from the outer shell it's designed to be used as a shield. The armor is the same color as Eina's eyes, emerald green.

"I-is this…?"

"It's a present from me, so please use it, okay?"

"Wait… why?"

Eina flashes a big smile.

"I want you to have it. Not for me, for you."

"Huh…?"

"The truth is, adventurers never really know when they'll die. Even ones who are really strong just disappear as if by the whim of a god. I've known many who didn't come back."

"…"

"…I'd like you not to be one of them, Bell. O-ho, I guess this present is for me, after all."

Eina laughs a bit to herself but never takes her eyes off me.

Those tranquil eyes.

"Is that bad?" she asks.

I look at her with a smile.

I don't know what to ask to refuse her gift after that.

I meet her eyes with my own.

Looks like she's blushing quite a bit.

"I want to give you strength. You've been working so hard, and I want to help you. Will you accept it, please?"

I held her hand along with the protector.

"Thank you…very much… I promise I won't do anything reckless from now on."

"You're welcome."

She said it with a blush.

_Seems like I crossed my limits._

I totally forgot the fact that elves hate others if you touch them without their permission but seems like Eina isn't like them.

I can feel gentle warmth flowing from the emerald protector on my arm.

* * *

"It's gotten pretty late…"

The sky is turning red. Late evening has arrived.

I walked Eina back to her dwelling after we finished shopping, and am now close to my own.

I jog down West Main and find my usual side street that leads to the old church.

_To think I would get a bit nervous being around Eina…This isn't good._

I don't want to think that I could be interested in someone…Just a little while ago, I was thinking how great it would be to have a harem. Ha-ha-ha, I laugh out loud a bit and try my best to run away from that fact.

"…Footsteps?"

I stop jogging.

_Thump, thump, thump._ The sound of someone running comes from the other end of the side street. No…two someones, one big, one small. I can tell by the echoes of their shoes.

"Where…?"

I've just come off West Main. Looking back the way I came, I can still see people moving on the crowded street. The footsteps are getting louder, and they're coming this way.

They're still a little way from me, but I don't like the idea of an incident happening so close to my home.

Being as careful as possible, I timidly look around the corner of my usual route.

"Ow!"

"Huh?!"

A shadow passing in front of my face suddenly crashes to the ground. It must have tripped over my foot as the shadow tried to turn the corner.

I turn around for a closer look.

…_A prum?_

The person is a bit shorter than Hestia, with limbs so thin that they might break if I touch them. Seeing how small every part of the body is, the name of a certain race of demi-human came to mind.

They are known for loving good food, dancing, and being merry.

"Excuse me, are you okay?"

"Eh…h."

The stuttering prum pulls her body off the pavement.

She's a girl. Her messy, chestnut-colored hair is long enough to hide her neck.

She looks like a child. That would explain her small size. Her oversized spherical eyes make quite an impression on me.

"Found ya, ya piece-of-shit prum!"

I'm just about to extend my hand to help the girl up when a human appears at the other end of the street. His rage-filled voice is making the girl shake with fear. Poor girl.

The man's eyes shine with anger, and he looks to be an adventurer, too.

He seems to be—perhaps twenty years old? He has a relatively large sword strapped to his back and looks much more experienced than me.

"Yer not getting away…!"

The man is like a demon breathing hellfire as he looks down on his prey.

He's not even looking at me directly.

—What was he going to do to this prum girl?

My body moves on its own after that thought runs through my head.

I step into his path, hiding the girl behind me.

"…What the?! Kid, yer in the way! Beat it!"

The man had been so focused on the girl that he just now realized I was here.

I've stared down hundreds of monsters, but I'm not used to this feeling.

Facing down the man's powerful aura, I square my stance and lock my legs in place.

"What are you going to do with this girl?"

"Shut it, brat! If ya don't scram right now, I'll carve ya up along with the piece of shit behind ya!"

—Nope, can't move.

I've made up my mind.

I don't know the details, but this man is about to do something very cruel to the girl behind me.

I pull my backpack off my shoulders and lightly toss it to the side of the nearest building. Of course the man is surprised, but I can see a look of shock on the girl's face just behind me, too.

The glazed look in the man's eyes vanishes as a new wave of red rage overtakes him.

"Kid…! Do ya _want_ to die?!"

"Well, I can ask the same for ya," keeping my cool, I sthealted my knife.

"Shaddup! The hell is wrong with ya?! Is short stack there yer friend or something?!"

"Never seen her before in my life."

"Then why the hell are ya protecting that piece of shit?!"

"I don't need any damn reasons to protect someone."

"The hell…! "Fine…I'll slit yer throat first, kid…!"

The man reaches behind his back and draws his sword.

I can feel his intent to kill all over my body.

Ahh…I hear something gulp air behind me. Stealing a quick glance, I see the girl has her eyes fixed on me.

No, not me…the Divine Knife?

The man is taken aback at first, but soon assumes a ready stance and glares at me with pure hatred.

—This is bad.

This is my first time facing off against another human…, even if I had the skills, I only knew how to use them against monsters but living people, they are in a different case.

I don't know-how but his killing energy is starting to make me panic. Sweat pours down my face. A ferocious smile grows on the man's lips. He probably realizes that his opponent isn't ready for this.

He takes a few steps forward. I would like nothing more than to take a few steps back, but I force the urge down with pure willpower.

The next heartbeat, the man jumps straight for me.

"Stop right there."

The man never brings down his blade.

A forceful voice fills the area.

The man and I both look toward the source of the voice. An elvish girl holding a large paper bag stands just a few feet away.

Like Eina, her eyes and nose are high on her face. The main difference between her and the half-elf is that this girl's ears come to a full point.

Sky-blue, almond-shaped eyes bore straight through the male adventurer.

Wait, isn't she…Ryu? One of the waitresses who works at The Hostess?

"Where do these rats keep coming from…?! What's yer deal?!"

"The one you intend to kill…He is destined to become the companion of a person irreplaceable to me. I will not allow you to injure him."

_Wait, what did she just say…?_

"What the hell is wrong with people today?! Ya really wanna die so bad?!"

"Silence!"

—The air itself seems to freeze.

The man who was yelling at the top of his lungs swallows his words. Ryu stands before us, her eyes sharp slits on her face. The sheer pressure of her presence is intense. A look of panic works its way onto the man's face.

I don't have any room to criticize him; I'm shaking in my boots, too. Yes, her gaze was like that of an assassin.

"…—…?!"

"I don't want to cross blades with you. I have a bad habit of going too far." Ryu sounds detached, almost bored. She is bathed in red light from the setting sun shining in behind her from West Main.

I'll bet—yes, that's the truth.

It has to be true; I can tell how strong she is just by her posture.

The adventurer starts to flap his lips like he's trying to deliver on his last warning. I hear a sharp _shing_, and suddenly there's a stiletto in Ryu's free hand.

C-couldn't see it at all…

"D-DAMN IT!"

The man turns slightly blue in the face before making a hasty retreat.

"…"

"Are you all right?"

The girl in front of me managed to fend off an adventurer without having to even throw a punch…I'm more than a little scared of her now.

I wipe off the sweat that built up under my chin.

I'm sweating this much from staring down Ryu's display of power, I'm not sure.

Is Ryu, maybe, an adventurer herself…?

"Th-thank you very much. I was in a bit of a pinch there…"

"No, I'm sorry for getting in your way. I'm sure you could have dealt with this situation on your own just fine."

"I'm not so sure about that… I never fought a human before so I was worried about going too far."

I scratch my chin and asked: "Ryu, why are you here?"

"I was shopping for supplies to prepare for this evening. Unlike in the afternoon, adventurers visit our establishment in the evening. So if we are not fully stocked, many problems tend to occur. I happened to see you in the middle of my errand, and you know the rest."

That makes sense. The Hostess of Fertility is a popular bar, so they would run out of ingredients and wine rather quickly.

Then again, "I know the rest"…We don't know each other very well. Maybe Ryu has a strong sense of justice?

"What about you? Why are you here?"

"Well, you see, this girl here…Huh?"

I spin around, looking for the prum girl, but she's gone. She's vanished into thin air.

"Was someone there?"

"Y-yeah. At least, I thought so…"

She must have gotten scared and run away.

It can't be helped, But that does seem kind of strange…

"If you will excuse me, I will take my leave now."

"All right," I say. "And really, thank you so much."

We exchange a quick bow and go our separate ways.

* * *

"Alrighty…"

Bell, fully equipped in the new armor he bought the previous day, took a look at himself in the mirror.

It went very well with his black inner clothing and pants. The new armor was so light that he could barely feel it. He would be able to move freely in combat.

His new emerald-green protector lightly sparkled on his left arm.

Bell ran his fingers down the outer edge of the gift from Eina with a smile on his face.

"Hestia, I'm heading out!"

"Gotcha…Have a good day…"

He grimaced a little at the sight of his exhausted goddess, sinking ever lower into the middle of the bed. Bell reached for the door. He had already given up on getting an explanation as to why the goddess was working at _Hephaistos Familia._

Bell took one last look into the mirror. Now that he no longer had to wear Guild provision equipment, he looked more like a full-fledged adventurer. Bell smiled at his reflection and gave a nod of approval.

He left the hidden room under the only church, dagger and Divine Knife tucked into the armor behind his lower back.

_Nice weather today…_

The sky that opened up before him was blue and clear.

A smile perked up his lips as he gazed at the sky. He felt like something good was going to happen today.

He followed the side roads to West Main, and then down to Central Park.

Bell joined the waves of adventurers gathering at Babel Tower.

_Seize the day…_

"Mister, mister. Mister with the white hair."

Bell stopped in his tracks, trying to figure out if the voice was addressing him.

"Huh?"

He turned in the direction the voice came from, but all he could see were other adventurers coming and going, all of them avoiding making eye contact. None of them could have been the owner of the voice.

"Mister, down…down here."

The voice of a little girl tickled his ear. Dropping his chin, he saw she was there.

The girl stood about 100 celch tall, dressed in a plain cream-colored robe. A hood covered most of her face with a little bit of chestnut-colored hair sticking out. A backpack at least twice, no, three times her size, big enough to surprise Bell, was strapped to her tiny shoulders.

Bell's eyes went wide as he felt a strong sense of déjà vu. Memories of the event on the side street the day before came flooding back into his mind.

"A-aren't you…?"

"Pleased to meetcha, mister! If you don't mind me asking, are you looking for a supporter?"

Interrupting Bell's words, the girl pointed an almost infant-sized finger toward the boy's back.

She was pointing to his backpack.

Anyone could guess that an adventurer walking alone and equipped with a backpack was going solo—perhaps thinking _If only I had a supporter…_

So the girl had come to confirm and asked him directly.

"W…what…?"

"Are you confused? This is a pretty simple situation, you know. A poor supporter has come to you, an adventurer, to sell her services in the Dungeon."

Opposite Bell's wide-eyed, confused look, the girl squinted her eyes and smiled from ear to ear.

"Aren't you…from yesterday…?"

"…? Mister, have you met Lilly before? Lilly doesn't remember."

Many adventurers gave them annoyed looks as they passed by, wondering what these two were doing in the middle of the road.

"Are you sure? That you were not the person yesterday?" Bell said still in doubt.

"Well Lily truly doesn't know you. So, mister, do you want a supporter?"

"Well…if I could find one…Yeah, I'd like one."

"Really? Then please take Lilly with you, mister!"

The girl looked so happy and innocent, her round eyes shining through her bangs from under her hood. Those big eyes found their way to the knife tucked nicely into Bell's waist.

"I suppose that'd be okay…"

"Ah! Names? Sorry, Lilly didn't introduce herself."

The girl took a few steps back and cheerfully smiled at Bell.

"Lilly's name is Lilliluka Erde. What's your name, mister?"

The eyes looking up at Bell twinkled suspiciously under her hood.

"I am Bell, Bell Cranel."

"Nice to meet you, master Bell."

Bell knew that the prum was lying as he knows that she was the one who he rescued. Even if she was disguised, he can't forget her chestnut eyes and hairs that easily.

_This girl is sketchy. Gotta keep an eye on her._


	8. Episode 7

**Episode 7: Mischievous Supporter Lilliluka Erde…**

"So, you aren't a free supporter…?"

"Nope, Lilly's in a _Familia_."

We're on the second floor of Babel Tower, in the cafeteria. It's midmorning; most adventurers are prowling the Dungeon. The cafeteria is mostly empty. The small girl and I sit facing each other across a table in the middle of the wide-open lunchroom. I have a few questions I want to ask this Lilliluka Erde.

"What's the name of your _Familia_?"

"It's _Soma Familia_, mister. Lilly thinks her _Familia_ is pretty well known."

"Soma familia…."

I did heard rumors about that familia but I am myself not that sure how the familia is like, it's only been a few weeks for me in Orario. Either way, it seems like this girl who's approached me about going into the Dungeon together had been released from a contract with members of a different party. She has spent every day since then making trips between the Guild and Babel, trying to find someone to hire her to make money. She's in dire straits. Today, she happened to see me.

She saw someone without a party or a supporter, a solo adventurer.

She jumped at the opportunity without a second of hesitation.

Sure, I said I'd like a supporter, but to have someone just show up right when I wanted one…I'm not that naïve. And for some reason, her slender lips that I can see beneath her hood always have the same happy smile plastered on them which gives be vibes of some wickedness. While I can't see her eyes, she's got a cute little nose in the middle of her small face. She seems like an adorable kid but who knows my nerves are wrecked for being on guard.

_First time upon seeing her…. Why me?_

_If I remember correctly, there were other Adventurers who were soloing and seem to need a supporter. Abandoning all of them, this girl decided to help me?..._

_This doesn't sit right, you have to get to its depth Bell… So might as well ask her now._

"But, why me? I'm not in your _Familia_. It's not good for two members of different _Familias_ to have a connection like this. Why don't you join adventurers in your own group?"

"Eh-heh, Lilly is so tiny, and not strong at all. 'Lilly is slow and will hold us back,' all the honorable members of Lilly's _Familia_ always say. Lilly is treated like a burden. Even if Lilly asked them, they won't say yes."

_She's being left out?_

"Lilly's so useless in a fight it's embarrassing. The air at home is so bad; Lilly has been going from cheap hotel to cheap hotel every night to sleep."

Wait…She can't sleep at home? Not even relax…? What's with that?!

Her words shocked me to the core. I can't believe anyone would treat a member of their own _Familia_ like that.

For me, a _Familia_ is a family.

Sure, right at the moment there are only two members of _Hestia Familia_, but there is a strong bond. Not just a friendly connection but a real, warm family ties between us. Even if another person were to join our _Familia_, I don't think that would ever change.

A _Familia_ is there to help you through thick and thin, that's how it should be. No that is how it was back then when I was with grandpa….

But this girl's family is…shutting her out?

I feel a little dizzy. I know I shouldn't just take her at her word, but my whole world turned upside down. I'm shaken.

"Lilly doesn't have enough money to stay at the same hotel tonight. So please, please, please, mister! Take Lilly with you into the Dungeon today!"

"Well…um…"

"Ah! If you're worried about the _Familia_ thing, there shouldn't be a problem. Lilly's god, God Soma, doesn't talk to any other gods or goddesses, ever. So, unless your god already has something against God Soma, I don't think any fighting will break out between our _Familias_."

_What kind of god is he?_

_He never talks to other gods or goddesses?_

_I have never seen or heard something like this._

"I understand your situation, Lilliluka…but can I check one thing?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I want you to take off your hoodie."

"Eh…"

A pause?

I know, but still my butt is itching to know this girl, she gives off a vibe of familiarity as well as wickedness.

"M-Mister, why do you want me to take it off?"

"I've just met a random stranger, you have my trust but I also need to know your face."

That is it, I know she is hiding something.

The same girl under the hoodie, whom I saved yesterday.

"Okay…" come from beneath her hood. Her tiny hands reach up and pull it back.

"…Huh?"

"T-this enough?"

On the top of her head, cutely fluttering from side to side, are two animal ears.

My jaw drops. If this is true…

"…So, you're animal people?"

"Y-yes. Lilly is a Chienthrope—a dog person."

A few seconds pass until…_pop_. I stood up and leaned over the table.

Lilliluka fidgets in her chair; maybe she can feel my gaze. A tail is swishing back and forth under her robe. I can see the chestnut fur on it poke out from under the hem.

She's no prum…But a little animal girl?

…_No way._

_Wait, this is a lie right?_

_This is a lie!_

My mind is still in shock, but my hands move on their own. They reach up and grab hold of both of the girl's animal ears, barely noticing how her small shoulders cringe.

"Hnnn…"

The ears between my fingers are soft and warm. They're tender.

I rub my fingers up and down the ears, Lilliluka getting redder and redder.

…They're real.

The soft fur, the muscles beneath the skin, the pink and moist inner ear—everything is real. There is no mistake.

_It's not her…_

I have no doubt. They may look similar, but they're not even the same race. There's nothing left to ask. But why?

Why is my inner voice saying it is HER!

I let go of all of the trivial questions and just go with it.

"Ummm…mister…?"

"—?! S-sorry!"

A little voice makes me realize what I was doing, and I let go and fly back to my chair like a frog jumping away from a fire.

She holds the ears I'd been fondling tightly against her head, looking up at me with a little bit of anger before an evil smile spreads across her lips.

"To think a man would play with Lilly's precious things like that…Lilly's going to make you take responsibility for this."

…I can't make a sound.

Blinking a few times,

"…If you don't mind me asking, why do you hide your race like that…?"

"Lilly's fur is dirty and matted—don't want people to see it…"

Lilliluka pulls her hood back up, hiding her face in shame.

Personally, I think her fur looks very nice and kind of cute…But then again, I'm a guy, and there's no way I can wrap my head around what girls think about their own hair or fur.

It would be one thing if she were a prum, who are widely known to be the smallest race—but Lilliluka is still the smallest animal child I've ever seen. She can't be more than ten years old.

"So what will you do, mister? Will you hire Lilly?"

"…All right, I'll bring you along. For right now, just for today, I'll hire you as my supporter."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

After what I did to her ears, how can I refuse? If I left right now, I'd be the scum who did that to a little girl, then ran off.

…And on top of that, if I'm being honest, I want a supporter more than anything right now. I want to get as strong as I can, and I can't do that unless I can focus completely on combat. Lilliluka's proposition is a godsend.

"Well, um, isn't there an advance payment or something I have to give you before we go?"

"Sometimes that's true, yes. But today is a trial, so we can just divvy up the money after we get back from the Dungeon. If you'd give Lilly thirty percent, Lilly will jump with joy!"

"That's all? Fine with me. I'd just like to be more professional…"

From there we put our heads together to work out the details for a while, the same carefree smile plastered on Lilliluka's face.

* * *

Each section of the Dungeon was its own world, with unique layouts and characteristics.

The walls on levels one through four were a pale blue, and monsters that appeared there were usually just goblins and kobolds. There weren't many types of them, either.

The monsters closer to the fourth level were a little stronger and smarter than those higher up, but it could still be said that this area was the easiest for newbie adventurers to conquer. If they went in alone and avoided being surrounded—or better yet, formed a party—then there was very little risk in prowling these floors.

Everything changed on the fifth level.

The walls turned a slimy green and the layout got more complicated, but that wasn't all. More unpleasant monsters, like the seventh level's killer ant, appeared in larger numbers.

Plus, the birthing interval of monsters was much shorter on the seventh than the fourth. The moment an adventurer ventured into a dead end, they could be swarmed from all sides by monsters pouring out of the dungeon walls.

Many adventurers who grew overconfident on the upper levels met their doom here. Even if they didn't let their guard down, newbies got their first glimpse of the true threats inside the dungeon on lower levels five to seven. It was their first major obstacle to overcome.

They couldn't just go lower when they got bored on the upper levels. Adventurers needed to build a strong foundation before going deeper. Not just a strong "status," they needed experience, good equipment, fast reflexes, and general adventurer knowledge—among other things—to survive.

Newbie adventurers needed to spend time learning and growing on the upper floors first.

This was even truer for solo adventurers.

However.

"Hya!"

"Gyshaaaa!"

In Bell's case, things were a little different.

His growth speed broke all the rules to such a point that he couldn't be compared to other newbie adventurers. Moreover, he has good combat experience than other newbies. He can take a monster beyond his level with ease.

A killer ant's thin abdomen was caught by a long sweep of Bell's knife and split in two.

Prowling the seventh level, Bell charged into an incessantly advancing horde of monsters alone on a floor where a party was all but necessary.

"Jigigigigigigi!"

"Won't you all give up already"

"Byugii!"

Bell nimbly dodged a purple moth that came from above, the Hestia Knife connecting with its wing as the boy spun backward.

The now one-winged giant moth lost its balance and was slain as Bell plunged his dagger straight into its body.

"You two, stay put!"

Bell kicked off the ground in the direction of two killer ants.

The monstrous ants flared open their mouth pincers to intimidate him, but Bell only sped up his assault.

He charged forward as if to take on both of the killer ants at once, but lunged for the one on the right at the last second.

The ants were a moment too late to react.

"—Giya?!"

Bell's leading blade plunged into the ant's upper body like a skewer.

Its hard outer shell crumbled under the power of the Hestia Knife; the flesh beneath was torn to shreds in an instant. The creature didn't even have time to writhe in pain or let out a dying shriek. The lights in its eyes cut out, and the killer ant fell silent.

Bell immediately turned to face the other ant—but his knife wouldn't budge.

"Huh?!"

The knife was jammed in a piece of the dead creature's thick shell-like skin. Bell couldn't move.

At the same time, enraged by the death of its brother, the remaining killer ant turned to face the boy and brought down its sharp claws on a collision course with Bell's face.

Bell quickly let go of his knife and goes for a fist blow on the ant.

"I am strong even without my knife."

"Hyaaa!"

"Giii."

Boom, the ashes were spread as the magic stone dropped, his punch was strong enough to blow the ant into dust. Not to soon, another ant made its way with its sharp claws to attack him. Luckily the claws scratched the emerald arm protector.

"Haaaa!"

"—Gii!"

"Next!"

Bell delivered the final blow to the dying monster before yanking the Hestia Knife from its previously slain comrade. He then charged forward into another incoming group of monsters without stopping to catch his breath.

"Mr. Bell is so strong!"

While Bell tore into his next group of foes, Lilly was busy gathering all of the slain bodies into one spot. She was very efficient. Even with a big smile on her face, she was very aware of her surroundings as she dragged the bodies into a line but never let them touch. Wearing specially made brown supporter's gloves, she grabbed onto the arms and legs of the lifeless beasts and hauled them across the dungeon floor with no problem.

"Sha!"

"Kyuu?!"

Thanks to Lilly's work, Bell didn't have to worry about footing and slew a needle rabbit with his dagger.

Bell was a humble person. He was following his adviser Eina's instructions to the letter: Slay the killer ants quickly so that they can't call for reinforcements. Do whatever it takes to avoid taking on a group by yourself.

Bell had the entire battle within this wide room firmly within his grasp.

"—Gushyuuu…! ShyaaaaaAAAAA!"

"Yikes! Mr. Bell! One's about to be born!"

One of the dungeon walls had split open; a killer ant's ominous cries were coming from within.

Bell responded swiftly to a situation he had encountered countless times before.

He delivered a finishing blow to the remaining monsters before rushing up to the giant ant attempting to emerge from the crack in the wall.

After sprinting ten meters across the room, Bell leaped skyward and drove his left boot into the beast.

"One, two…!"

"Guweiii?!"

Echoes exploded on the kick's impact.

_Crack!_ The ant's neck shattered. Its lifeless body hung from the side of the wall.

"Ohh, Mr. Bell, what should we do? That killer ant is stuck up there?"

"Hmm, what can we do?"

Bell tried to figure out how to get the ant's body, which looked like it was too big for a small hole, out of the wall. It was well out of Lilly's reach, but when she looked up and saw the confused look in Bell's eyes, she couldn't help but giggle.

"Mr. Bell's very strong, but weird. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"…Don't laugh!"

Realizing how dismal he looked, Bell cracked a small smile, too.

With the floor almost conquered and the room fully cleared, the two of them set to work on retrieving magic stones.

But now it was Lilly's time to shine. All Bell could really do was keep an eye out for any monsters that might try to sneak up on them.

"Whoa…You're really good at this…"

"It's because this is all Lilly can do to help. Mr. Bell, you slew all of these monsters, so you are the one who is really good."

Her experienced hands used a knife to cleanly and efficiently remove only the magic stone from the monster in front of her.

Her tiny hands moved with speed and precision, opening a small hole in the monster's chest before its body turned to ash.

Bell watched her work while thinking about his own woeful way of doing the same task, but decided to comment on something else.

"…Umm, Could you stop addressing me as 'Mr. Bell'?"

"Sorry, but that won't do. It goes against the contract, and it shows who is higher ranking in this party. Supporters cannot be condescending to adventurers."

"There is no need for that Lilliluka, it doesn't even matter to me."

"Mr. Bell, please call Lilly Lilly. Other names are okay too, but not by full name."

"Why are you so concerned about names?"

"It's just how the contract goes…"

The girl is completly not being honest here. Bell clearly knew something has been through this girl.

Back when he was still a kid, he had some known supporters who worked for Riogo. He treated them equally as adventurers. But who knows? It's a wide generation gap and maybe, the contract with other familia supporter might have some of its own demands.

The third killer ant turned to ash as Lilly looked up at Bell. Her eyes hidden completely by her hood, Lilly forced a smile and said, "Are you listening, Mr. Bell?" before continuing.

"The word 'Supporter' sounds pretty, but underneath it all, Lilly and other supporters just carry the bags. Compared to the brave adventurers fighting monsters on the front lines, we're just cowards who watch from a safe distance and reap the rewards of battles that we didn't fight in. We're no better than parasites."

Given that just by going into the Dungeon, supporters were exposed to the same level of danger as adventurers, Lilly's speech wasn't necessarily true. Still, she continued without any hesitation.

"It is arrogant for Lilly and other supporters to think that they are equal to adventurers. The brave adventurers won't allow it. If Lilly tries, then the honorable adventurers get angry and won't give Lilly her share."

"..."

"Mr. Bell, you are a good person as soon as we met. But there has to be a line. If word got out that Lilly wasn't treating Mr. Bell as a superior, Lilly won't get any contracts to go into the Dungeon with adventurers other than Mr. Bell from now on. Lilly would have to work for free."

"…"

"It might be hard for Mr. Bell, but can you accept Lilly's request? Think of it as helping Lilly."

… _This girl…._

_And her smile…._

_What are you hiding?... Lilliluka…._

"Look, I understand your current situation but you know, it would be hard for me to help you with that."

"W-Why is that so Mr. Bell?"

Undoubtedly Lilly was shocked to hear that from Bell. Bell has treated everyone as his equal and never ever had thought of him being superior than others.

"Don't worry about it. I promise it won't get out."

"No Mr. Bell, even if you say I will still address you as 'Mr. Bell'."

Lilly still glued her decision, clearly seeing his defeat Bell had no other choice left but to agree to her demand.

"…Fine… sure thing, Lilly."

"Thank you very much!"

"On an unrelated note…Is Mr. Bell really a newbie adventurer? Lilly can't believe Mr. Bell slew all of those monsters alone…"

Lilly stopped working on the monster in front of her and counted the dead bodies with her tiny fingers.

If she counted the monsters already turned to ash, Bell slew seventeen killer ants, twenty purple moths, and ten needle rabbits, for a total of forty seven monsters.

Also including the human-sized killer ants, the remaining monsters were all classified as "small," so it wasn't that difficult for Bell to take on all of them. Lilly couldn't look at him the same way after seeing what he could do.

"Yes, I won. To be honest, I wish I could go even deeper…"

A surprising jolt went through Lilliluka's body.

"_He wants to go even further… so it is that thing that is making it easy for him to kill the monsters. A newb Level one like him, slaying this many monsters is not normal at all."_

Her eyes were locked on to the black sheath of his trust weapon, Bell notices her intention but keeps silent environment. To break this awkward moment, Lilly continues.

"Mr. Bell is fighting by himself, so of course that's going to happen. Most distinguished adventurers like you come into the Dungeon in a party of three or more, you know? They don't want to fight solo down here."

"I don't even care. I like to do things my way. But have to admit that there are some Level one adventurers who are way better than me."

"That…may be true."

"You've accompanied many parties into the Dungeon, right Lilly? So you've seen adventurers who are much stronger than me."

"…Yes. Lilly has seen adventurers stronger than Mr. Bell…"

"So, I've still got a long way to go."

Lilly looked up at a grimacing Bell with frustrated confusion. He had completely missed her point.

There were, in fact, solo adventurers who prowled the Dungeon on their own. However, Lilly wanted to know if Bell had really only started the job less than a month ago.

Common knowledge said that Level One adventurers could conquer lower levels one to twelve.

To put it in terms of which levels were appropriate for which statuses, adventurers with a status of _I_ or _H_ could work in levels one through four, _G_ and _F_ in five through seven, _E_ through _C_ in eight to ten, and _B_ through _S_ in levels eleven and twelve.

However, this was merely the received wisdom. Level Two category monsters would appear beginning with level thirteen and below, so it was generally accepted that Level One adventurers had no hope of clearing any of those floors.

If one were asked to state the average level of an adventurer in Orario, the answer would have to be "One." More than half of all adventurers worked on the top twelve floors.

Half of the remaining adventurers were at level two, with the remainder a mix of those who had become even more powerful.

The line between Level One and Level Two separated the lower-class adventurers from the upper class, and there was a significant difference. This was because they entered the "Third Tier" class of adventurers from Level Two. Since Level One was average, going beyond that point required a good amount of talent and skill.

Since adventurers' statuses were considered personal information, they were well protected. Figuring out an average status was very difficult. However, most adventurers who hadn't yet leveled up to Two spent the bulk of their time on levels seven to ten of the Dungeon.

To put it another way, the average adventurer's status grades were somewhere between _G_ and _C_. That was the line that beginners had to cross to become experts.

Since Bell had already surpassed his ability as 'Advanced Beginner Adventurer' and is most likely fighting like a Level 2 adventurer, it was understandable that Lilly would have some trouble believing what she had witnessed that day.

"Also, Mr. Bell has a good weapon to go along with his strong status."

The tone of Lilly's voice made a sudden but subtle change.

Bell noticed, _So you are showing your true form_.

"Yeah, you've got that right. To be honest, I already stormed through this level and attempted to reach the tenth floor. Seems like it was a bad idea?"

Lilly after hearing that was shell-shocked. How could a Level one adventurer be that reckless and risk their lives for ranking up. BEsides the truth was she doesn't even care about them at all.

Bell had his back to Lilly, keeping a sharp lookout for monsters. His hand reached around and stroked the knife. Black from end to end, it was a very rare knife indeed.

Bell's fingers ran along the Ἥφαιστος insignia on the sheath of the weapon.

Lily's eyes went wide and flashed a fiery blaze.

"Lilly doesn't know much about weapons, but Lilly knows that knife is special. How in the world did you get it? Lilly doesn't mean to be rude, but Mr. Bell is still a newbie, and newbies don't have much money…"

"It's a gift from a certain someone. And its dear to me."

Lilly finished off the last needle rabbit a bit more roughly than necessary before standing up and sneaking up behind Bell's back.

"Mr. Bell?"

"Oh, you finished?"

Lilly flashed another big grin as Bell turned to face her.

"Since we're here, we might as well get the magic stone from the killer ant in the wall."

"Nah, leave it."

"Why is that so Mr. Bell?"

"We already got a load of it so let's head back."

Not forcing more, Lilliluka felt that Bell is now aware of what she was about to do.

"Well, if Mr. Bell says so. Let's head back."

Turning back and giving their byes to the floor, Bell and Lilly started to climb up the dungeon.

_It's better if I catch her a bit late…. If I rush, everything might collapse._

What might've been going through Bell's mind?...


	9. Episode 8

**Episode 8: Soma Familia**

The room is filled with many potions and glass bottles, the bottle contains a whole new world inside of it, the black haired god slowly takes a portion of the liquid in a small cup. Slowly sipping it, he felt pleasure but not up to his mark. Someone knocked the door, entering in and informing his god about a certain visitor…

"Lord Soma, someone came to see you."

"Seeing me? Who is it?"

"I don't know but all I know is that he has a white hair and he is an adventurer."

"..."

"Should I let him in?"

The god paused, he tilted his head towards a figure hidden in the shadows near the rack.

"What do you say? Shall I meet that adventurer?"

"There is no need, my lord."

The figure revealed itself, showing its thin face from the light entering the room in a small amount, the person stood with confidence as if he was god himself. He fixed his glasses with his middle finger.

"A stranger is no worth for your precious time."

"Hm… you heard him Chandra… I am not seeing him."

"B-But my lord tha-"

"My time is valuable. I have no time to talk with strangers. This is my final decision."

"B-But.."

"You heard our lord Chandra."

The god went back to do his routine while the figure closed himself to Chandra, whispering in his ears, "Soma is busy. You have no right to deny your god, right?" he gave an evil smirk.

"Understood… Lord Zanis…"

He leaves revealing the man's name 'Zanis'. The man also left the wine god all by himself, for making him master his speciality even more than how it is now.

"Hehehe… I won't let anyone get in my way."

_**Few hours before…**_

I just woke up and got back to my routine, today was a bit of a different day. Lilly informed me that she had some work to do so she can't help me today in dungeons. Well who needs help anyway. I can handle everything on my own. I trained for 15 damn years, but wait. I am still not getting this, after years of hellish training why am I still Level 1? It didn't bother me but now it does.

"Ah… I already reached."

I stopped near the entrance of the great tower, Babel. Well, I think I passed by the busy street quickly this time.

A sigh escaped my mouth, this might be because of my Level 1 trauma. After slaying wyrens around the mountains, facing death again and again. Man am I tired of this, but no. I have to keep up with my promise to my mother. I looked at my hand, instinctively making a fist.

"Let's do this."

Grandpa told me, hundreds and thousands of times, or even millions of times. The path of becoming a hero is hard, but you have to keep on chasing what's important to you.

"Hya…."

"Grah…"

Another monster to dust. Dungeon floor 7, completely filled with purple colour background, this is its own beauty though. Each floor of the dungeon has its own varieties. I did rush deeper than before, again, just to earn decent money for the familia, this time I have to make sure I keep myself safe. I am not overconfident, but am aware. If I mess things up, Eina will burst in tears.

Luckily, I have Crozzo's armor and Eina's wrist guard, though the knife kinda seems a bit off for my compatibility. I mostly trained with a sword so I am good with it but a knife…

Idiot, stop thinking about swords. Hestia went through a lot to get this knife directly handmade from the smith goddess Hephaistos herself. I must appreciate what I have with me.

"Please don't!"

"Hm?"

Is that a voice I heard calling for help? The sound came from the next left of the main corridor, I swiftly ran towards the sound. As I got close I heard things even more clearly.

"Please, this is my earning."

"Shut up you bitch and give it already."

"Nooo"

"Seems like you need more beatdown."

"Agh!"

Judging the voices, it's definitely of two male and a female adventurer, I reached to the point where the sound came but my body denied to enter.

I trust my instincts more than anything else so I decided to eavesdrop instead. Sticking to the wall I saw a sight, the female adventurer was getting kicked by those male adventurers and they were fighting for… a bag?...

Upon close notice, I got a glance of their crest, its Soma Familia's emblem. So they are Liliruka's familia members.

The girl seems to be in danger, should I help? No it won't go the way I think. I decided not to meddle and observe.

"That's it I am taking it"

The man reached to the bag, that moment the girl stood and pushed him hard, the bag fell dropping some iris.

"Iris?"

To think the members would fight for 'Iris', are they not a family. Iris are the valuable source of income for adventurers, the exchange iris with valis, the country's currency. The more deeper the iris is obtained from, the more money you earn. It seemed like those stones were from the 10th floor. But wait why are they even fighting for it?

"These are mine!"

"Why you!"

"You already took his wine, now it's my turn- agh!"

She was kicked once again before she even had a chance to complete.

"Bitches like you should stay down."

The men turned around towards the exit, I quickly stuck towards the wall. Thankfully they didn't notice me and just passed by, but…

'_Why were their faces… lewd?'_

"AAAAAARRRRRGGGG!"

The girl!

I spun my head back towards the room, she got insane. A monster showed up in front of her.

"I want it…."

Slowly slipping her hands to draw her sword…

"I… I want his wine… I WANT HIS WINE! HHHHHHHRRRRAAAAAAAAA!"

She quickly sped up and slashed the monster, another one came in. She stabbed the second monster as if she were….

'_Stabbing human?'_

I got chills running down my spine. Is she for real?! I gotta run, that is it. Screw saving her I have to save myself. I quickly ran as soon as I could but I still heard those insane laughing echoing till I reached the stairs.

* * *

I'm in the very familiar counseling room at the Guild main office, talking with Eina about Soma Familia. After the Exchange, I'd hurried straight here. I told her what happened in the dungeon (except the fact that I went to floor 7) and I wanted some info about them. She listened to my story then gave the answer.

She said, "Wait a moment," as she pulls out a large file from the desk that was already prepared and opens it in front of her. Eina pulls a pair of glasses out of her pocket and with a quick flick of the wrist and a light _click_, she slides them over her eyes in one fluid motion.

"Looks like _Soma Familia_ is your model dungeon-prowling _Familia_. They are a little different from other _Familias_ in that they also dabble in the retail industry."

"Retail? What are they selling?"

"They sell wine."

"Wine…?"

Wait now that I remember, that girl said that she wants 'his wine' . Does that mean every one of the members wants it that badly? Bad enough to even go insane?

Eina carried on.

"Yes. They don't supply very much product to stores and marketplaces, but I hear the taste is extraordinary. Apparently there is a very high demand in Orario."

She keeps on talking, adding that with a product like that, they shouldn't even need to go into the Dungeon.

Since danger always follows adventurers, the best thing for gods to do when they make a _Familia_ is to go into a safe industry. Sure, it's a gamble to go into retail, but relying on adventurers for money is like walking on a suspension bridge that can be cut at any moment. Adventurers brush shoulders with death every day.

On the other hand, adventurers change everything. If the god is not afraid of the high-risk, high-return atmosphere of the Labyrinth City Orario, then adventurers are the best way to strike it rich in a hurry.

"That _Familia_ is in the middle of the pack in terms of strength. No one stands out above the rest, but everyone has above average power. Whoa…They have quite a few members, too. I had no idea."

"So if they have a lot of members, then that means…"

"Their god, Soma, has a good following. I haven't heard anything good or bad about that god at all, though…"

"Um…the girl, Liliruka, said this to me, but is it true that the god Soma doesn't interact with any other gods or goddesses?"

"I would actually say he is rather famous for that. It feels strange to say that a god stays apart from this world, but that really is him. He's never attended one of the other gods' Celebrations, nor has he responded to social calls. It's a challenge finding someone who has even seen him."

Well, that's…an extreme case.

Didn't Lilly say that Soma never talks to other gods and goddesses?

And then Eina said that she couldn't strongly support or oppose my involvement based on this _Familia_. Must be because they're safe—too safe, even. They aren't on "friendly" terms with any other _Familiar_, but they're not on "bad" terms with anyone else, either…

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the _Familia_ itself…just."

"Just?"

Eina furrows her brow like she's deep in thought. She was hesitating to continue. Me being a well perspective guy already knew about what was going to come.

"This is just my opinion, but the members of _Soma Familia_ seem different from members of other _Familias._ Fighting among one another, almost like they're frantic…"

"…"

"They don't seem like 'live fast, die young' types, but…I don't know how to describe them. At any rate, every single member of that _Familia_ seems desperate, somehow."

Eina's face looked troubled as she spoke.

…

"Is there a way I can meet that god?"

My response blew her mind, first this came out of nowhere to her and second, I am being crazy. Even after seeing that frightening sight how can I ask of meeting the god?

"Bell? Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

Eina is stunned, yup she has multiple feelings at the moment, she didn't make eye contact with me so it was clear. She doesn't want me to get involved in this matter. But me on the other hand have someone from that same familia as a supporter, so I have to know…

'_This messed up Familia….'_

* * *

I reached the familia's entrance, and it seems like this familia is awfully guarded a bit too much. One of the members attended me.

"What are you here for, kid? Go away!"

Rude…

"Can I meet Lord Soma?"

"Why? Why do you want to meet him?"

"I want to join a familia that is, Soma Familia."

"Eh…"

That is a clear lie, true. But I have no other option for meeting him. The guard looked at me with suspicions but luckily he let me in. another member showed up, he seemed to have a rough day.

"All right you just wait here, I will get Lord Soma for you."

He left. His name was chandra, a member of the familia. Not only him but all of the members seem to be… dull.

…

...

...

He came back with a disappointing face.

"Sorry kid, our Lord has no interest in meeting you."

"Wait- what? What do you mean he has no interest?"

"He said you are not worth his valuable time."

"..."

Okay, now this is messed up. Lilly was right, this god doesn't like to meet anyone. Or is he?...

"Chandra…"

Another voice entered the hall, a man with thin face and glasses showed up.

"Ugh… what is it now Zanis?"

"Lord Soma needs some more income for perfecting his wine."

"Ugh… pft.. Fine…."

Chandra let a sigh out and left, the guy named Zanis looked at me,

"So… you are that guy eh?"

"Yes I am…"

"Too bad for you."

"Hm?"

"Just to sneak in by taking up the courage to lie for joining our familia when you already are in one of them."

"?!"

A jolt, wait how did he know. I accidently lost my composer, I started to sweat. Zanis gave a creepy smirk and continued.

"Listen up kid, mind taking your head out from our… no my business."

"..."

"And if you want to get home safely you better leave right now else…"

"Understood."

I had to leave now, my instincts and the chills I felt were too much for me to handle. I left through the gate but I still felt his creepy smile.

'_This Familia…. Is totally messed up….'_

…

…

'_Liliruka… why did you even choose a place where instead of a god, a monster like him is ruling?'_

Bell finally got it, it was right in Zanis's words. He is the god of familia….

* * *

**Sorry for the late posting, I will make sure to continue this timely. Handling more than 2 stories is a challenge. Since this story was getting more love and following I will bring it back. Thank you for still supporting and loving my story. Till next time.**


	10. Episode 9

**Episode 9: Arrival of an old friend**

The sky's hue shifted from deep red to blue-black as night fell.

Western Orario. West Main was alive with groups of townspeople and adventurers back from the Dungeon, all letting off steam after yet another day.

"I…I made it again…"

Hestia stumbled along on tired feet among the crowd walking down Main Street. Babel Tower loomed behind her as she made her escape and trudged toward home on wobbly legs.

She had completed her shift at _Hephaistos Familia_'s Babel Tower Branch Store and was headed for her room.

"That Hephaistos…Can't she cut me a little slack…?!"

While it might have been nothing more than the repayment of a loan, this had still been the most stressful time in Hestia's life. She was used to an almost lazy lifestyle up until now, and her current situation bordered on torture.

Whether it was her goddess "friend" Hephaistos's lectures or the children who worked alongside her showing no respect, she couldn't catch a break. In fact, they seemed to go out of their way to give her extra work. It was to the point that she wanted to scream on a daily basis.

She was getting a glimpse at just how serious Hephaistos was about fixing Hestia's habit of relying on others.

"Ahhhh, I wanna see Bell…!"

Worn out from consecutive days of hard labor, thoughts of her own "child" popped into the exhausted Hestia's mind.

Until just a few days ago, she couldn't wait to warmly welcome Bell back from the Dungeon every day, often leaving her part-time job early to do just that. Now their roles were reversed.

She wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms as he walked through the front door. Knowing that wasn't going to happen, she dragged her tired limbs toward home.

"—Eh?"

Hestia was brought out of her own thoughts when a flash of white hair like a rabbit caught her eye.

She noticed a very familiar shape in the middle of all sorts of races of people crammed into the street in front of her.

—It was Bell!

Her round eyes lit up the second she realized it was him.

Bell had to be on his way home from the Dungeon. He was still wearing his new armor. Since his back was to her, he must have been on his way back to the room.

Hestia got her energy back like a fish returned to water, and was about to run to his side—and then…

"?!"

Thanks to the crowds, she hadn't seen the person walking right next to him, but now whoever it was came into view.

The person was shorter than Hestia and wore a robe that was too big with a backpack. It was impossible to tell the person's gender or any other detail from the back, but it was a girl. Hestia _knew_.

The mystery girl probably had an aura that made all men want to protect her. What's more, she had a firm grip on a hand being held out to her.

Hestia could see the side of Bell's face as he looked down at the girl and she looked up at him. He was smiling happily.

_Boom!_ It was like a ton of bricks fell on Hestia's head.

She was already at her physical and mental limits, so this was the final blow. Bell, her last oasis, was holding hands and laughing with some girl who wasn't her. The heavens had come crashing down to earth, leaving Hestia with a wound too deep to measure.

Missing out on a chance to observe Bell with the supporter he had talked to her about, Hestia turned her back to them and took off running. This misunderstanding weighed heavily on her heart.

"—Listen to this, Miach! Bell, he—he cheated on me!"

_Slam!_ Another empty glass hit the table as Hestia wailed tearfully.

They were in a bar that stood a little ways off Main Street. The cramped, old wooden building was filled with mostly shabbily clad adventurers who were conversing in loud voices that weren't very polite.

She was drinking cheap alcohol alongside them, sitting at a table across from another god and reciting all the events that just transpired.

"Cheating is very serious. I cannot imagine a situation where Bell would do such a thing. But… are you sure that he cheated on you?"

The handsome man who spoke in a polite, calm voice was Miach. He had been listening to Hestia's story very carefully, and interjected his opinion into the conversation. His worn-out, ash-colored robe fit in very well with the décor of the bar.

Hestia happened to run into Miach on the street and practically forced him to join her in drowning her sorrows in alcohol. Through all of this, Miach never once made an angry face as he lent the goddess his ears.

"I saw them with my own eyes! They were holding hands, smiling, laughing! That's proof; he's guilty, guilty, guilty!"

"We don't know Bell's situation, so it could be something harmless. I think it's too early to declare him 'guilty'…And you're not husband and wife or lovers to begin with, so going on and on about 'cheating' seems strange to me."

Hestia was too busy downing her next glass of alcohol to hear the second half of Miach's words.

_She's at it again today…_thought Miach with a sigh, his sea-blue hair shaking with his head.

"Damn it! Just who is that girl anyway! Bell belongs to me; he's mine! MINE!"

"Now, now. You may be his goddess, but those words are tyrannical. Bell is no one's possession."

"You think I don't know that? Well, I do! I just wanted to say that; I've always wanted to say that!"

"Are you already drunk?"

"Yeeeep!"

Hestia drank like she couldn't stand being sober—as if she were showering in the stuff. In no time at all the table was covered in empty glasses and the reek of alcohol lingered in the air.

The effects of the liquor hit the red-faced Hestia like a steel wall. Her eyes watered up again as she took in a massive breath.

"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Bell Bell BellBell BE—L—L! Don't leave me alone—!"

"H-hey! Quiet down, Hestia!"

Even the composed Miach had to try to calm down the goddess; her cries were loud enough to interrupt every other conversation in the bar. All the eyes of other patrons were locked firmly on the two of them.

"I'd live in a sewer if it would make you happy, you know! I love you that much! I want to share the same bed with you and rub my face all over your chest! I'd live on three pieces of bread a day if it made you smile—!"

Miach shifted backward in his chair.

"I love you, BELL!…Hee-hee-hee…Just once, I wanted to let the world know how I feel. Much better!"

"I'm glad he wasn't here for it…Barkeep, check please."

Miach looked at the check and smiled in relief; they hadn't been scammed out of money. Hestia's head was on the table, her face hanging loosely as she laughed happily to herself.

Miach muttered "Good grief…" under his breath as he looked down at the plastered goddess. He diligently supported her limp body and guided her out of the bar.

"Miach, what about the cheeeeck?"

"No need. I covered it all."

"We're buddies, right? That means…we split the…check!"

"Again, no. You only have twenty vals with you."

Miach responded quickly to Hestia's slurred words. He lifted Hestia into a four-wheeled cart he had been using to carry items when they met earlier. It looked more like a baby stroller with Hestia curled up inside.

The two gods made their way down the street, accompanied by the sound of wooden wheels on stone and illuminated by magic-stone lamps under the evening sky.

"Mia…ha. Make me a love potionnnn. I'll brainwash Bell!"

"No. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

* * *

"Aaa-oooouuuuuch…!"

A throbbing headache greeted her the moment she opened her eyes.

Letting out a moan of agony, she stared up at the ceiling from the bed. She recognized it as her own and knew she was at home. The clock on the wall said it was already morning.

It was the morning after her night drinking with Miach, and she had one heck of a hangover.

"Good grief, you okay Hestia?"

Bell was right next to the bed standing with his arms crossed. He might've reached home late but the timing was perfect, Miach told him what was actually going on. After hearing that Bell could do nothing but facepalm for his Goddesses act.

"I…I'm sorry, Bell. I'm sorry you have to see me like this…"

"You know, you should not jump into conclusions like that."

"Hm?"

Bell reached out for a glass of water and handed it over to Hestia. She drank and regained her fresh throat.

"…Yeah, looks like I drank too much."

"Geese! You really cause trouble sometimes you know."

"I... am sorry Bell"

_I can't remember a thing…_

All of her memories of the previous night were gone. She had no idea what she had done or what she had said to Miach. After hearing what Miach had told Bell, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Memories of Miach's silent but sad smile made her feel like she had caused quite a few problems yesterday.

"…Bell, are you sure it's okay for you to be here, not the Dungeon?"

"Relax, I decided to lie back for the time being. What's the rush anyway."

Bell softened his eyebrows and smiled as he explained he'd already come back from informing his supporter.

While Hestia was a little embarrassed by everything Bell was doing for her, inside she was overjoyed. She could spend an entire day alone with him. In that instant, she decided to take the day off as well.

The consequences, aka the wrath of the goddess of the forge, she'd worry about later.

"Hestia, can you try to eat this?"

"…Might be too hard. Bell, could you help?"

"Um, sure."

Bell put a chunk of apple onto a spoon and raised it to her lips. Hestia propped her body up on her elbows and watched him with glee. She clamped her mouth down around the spoon, a look of pure delight on her face.

Normally, doing this kind of thing would be very awkward because it was just one step below nursing. However, Bell did it with a smile. It made Hestia happier and happier to see Bell hide his embarrassment and show this level of devotion to her.

"Ou…ohhh…My head…"

"H-hey Hestia you good?"

After what was one of the worst bits of acting in history, Hestia grabbed her head and "fell" onto Bell's chest. Bell was now holding her in his arms. She could feel the concern in Bell's eyes that made her want to bury her face even deeper into his torso. He smelled like a gentle forest. She pressed her luck even further by embracing him and giving a tight squeeze.

And so began a short, awkward tug-of-war between the elated goddess and the ever-squirming Bell.

"Hmm…So then, last night you went out to eat with that supporter?"

"Yes. Something very good happened yesterday…"

It was already the middle of the afternoon. Still lying in bed, Hestia was deep in conversation with Bell. Her hangover was almost gone.

While she was relieved to hear this, just thinking about how they were holding hands like that gave her some doubts…

Even though she had yet to meet this supporter girl, Hestia was starting to get seriously jealous.

"It's so great, isn't it? It must have been really fun to eat delicious food, just you and your supporter. I wish I could have been there…"

Sprinkling her words with irony, Hestia turned away from Bell, shuddering her shoulders and clearing her throat. But that performance didn't match Bell's reaction.

He sat there for a moment, trying to express how he can say what happened between him and the supporter, but suddenly an idea popped up in his mind. He grinned to himself.

_Maybe, she needs a little attention_

"Hestia"

"Hm"

"You jelly?"

And this caused an explosion right on her pale face with hot red blood, she jerked her twin tail and hurriedly denied.

"N-No , I-I-I- am not jealous or something."

"Eh… you sure."

Bell's grinning face neared to Hestia's cherry blossom one, Bell teasing her is the only thing she never imagined.

"Hump! Go away."

"Now now, let me make up to you."

"Huh?"

"Lets out for dinner?"

"…Eh?"

"How about an…extravagant dinner?"

Hestia was in a pinch, watching Bell with his manly confident look.

She couldn't believe her ears.

"You see, I was able to make more than my usual yesterday thanks to the supporter. And ya I was thinking of asking you out for dinner so you good?"

Hestia didn't hear another word.

She was too busy replaying Bell's invitation over and over in her head.

_Is this possibly…a d-d-d-d-d-date?_

And from Bell directly? Dinner?! Hestia's thoughts were going a mile a minute.

She was ecstatic.

"I guess you are not interested, well I can't blame you since you are not well today. Maybe next time."

Bell shrugged and turned away but his smile didn't go, he knew Hestia would never ever miss this chance, and with him of all people.

_Alone, all alone… only the two of us._

"Let's go today!"

"Uh?"

"Today!"

Hestia threw off her bedclothes and sprang to her feet.

Bell sat there still having his cheeky smile.

"But my dear Hestia…your body seems to be tired. It needs to rest a bit more…"

"I'm better!"

She wasn't lying. The excitement and nervousness that come with a date, with Bell no less, had filled her body with energy. Bell sat in his chair next to the bed as Hestia flew around the room getting ready for the evening.

—_Wait a second._

Hestia stopped in her tracks and lifted her collar from her chest up to her nose, drawing in a big whiff.

It smelled horrible, like alcohol. It wasn't the way any self-respecting goddess wanted to smell, and she was covered in it.

Her eyes shot open.

"Bell, six o'clock!"

"Hm?"

"Southwest Main at six! I'll meet you at Amour Square!"

With that Hestia went out the door, carrying only a small bag with her. Bell just laughed to himself after seeing how he made Hestia a bit too excited about the event. But this also worried him at some point.

_I might not actually have made her fall for me, did I?_

His thought trailed off as his eyes were fixed on the front door of the room.

* * *

In a word, this was paradise.

"Wonder if mine'll get any bigger?"

"Well, it's not like us gods and goddesses are growing up any more—Hey, no groping!"

If any of the children of the mortal world had set foot in this spot, they would have fainted from blood loss owing to the nosebleeds it would inspire.

Here goddesses, under the cover of cloudy steam, revealed every inch of their beautiful bodies without a second thought, naked as the day they were born. Light glistened off their clear skin; toned arms and legs shined through the mist.

This place was the very definition of heaven that all men dream about at least once.

"Haah…This feels amazing!"

A relaxed smile grew on Hestia's face as she sank shoulder-deep into the hot water, causing small waves to caress her body.

The Divine Bathhouse. It was a pure bathing facility where only gods might enter—just as the name would suggest.

There was one main, wide "pool" surrounded by smaller tubs of many sizes. Large trees and natural rocks were interspersed around and among the tubs, making the whole place feel like an isolated oasis. Constructed completely out of stone, intricate designs carved into the walls and pillars made the bathhouse even more majestic.

The Divine Bathhouse was built and maintained for the gods and goddesses living in Orario by the Guild. Money was collected from each of the _Familias_, a tribute to the gods, to make this place a reality.

Of course the male and female gods had their own baths, but due to the lack of male gods using the facility, the "Divine Bathhouse" usually referred to the goddesses' side. Ever since one perverted old god had gained entrance to the goddesses' bath at some point (he had since become legendary aka Zeus), the Guild upped security to the point that a single mouse couldn't find a way in.

Hestia had joined the other goddesses, completely vulnerable without a thread of coverage, in the hot water. Her glistening skin turning pink from the heat, she let out a deep, relaxed breath as the water flowed over her.

"Can it be? Hestia? This is quite a surprise, seeing you here."

"Ahh…Oh, Demeter, it's been a long time!"

Hestia greeted the goddess she knew with the first thing that came to mind, her face as slack as it could be.

The goddess named Demeter hid her lusciously curvy body with one thin towel as she took a seat next to Hestia.

"Ooo-h? Your bosom is as big as ever, I see."

"Look who's talking!"

Hestia slapped the wrist of the hand reaching toward her chest.

The shock from the hit shook Demeter's impressive breasts, sending large ripples out through the surface of the water.

"So what's the occasion? Today is your first time here, I presume?"

"Umm…"

Hestia pulled her face together as she turned toward the other goddess, who happened to be adjusting her fluffy, honey-colored hair.

It costs money to enter the Divine Bathhouse, so Hestia had avoided coming here at all. However, now that she had plans for a romantic night with Bell, she decided to use what little savings she had to bathe here.

It was that important to her not only to get rid of the smell of alcohol, but to refresh her body and mind as well.

Everything had to be perfect tonight.

"I have plans to meet someone for dinner after this. Thought I'd go all out."

"…Could you possibly mean with a gentleman?"

"What would you say if it was?"

Hestia shot an irritated glance at the look of shock on her friend's face.

As a small waterfall on the other side of the pool made a merry little sound, Demeter's eyes lit up like a child's.

"Well, I'll be! Who would have guessed, Hestia with a gentleman! Goodness! Hey, everyone—!"

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Hestia lost her calm at seeing Demeter get a little too excited. The goddess's voice echoed around the chamber, and other bathers started to gather to find out what was going on. After Demeter told them the news, they too joined her in a hysterical frenzy.

"Hestia and a man?!"

"What's happened?!"

"Hestia, the girl who had no interest in men whatsoever back in the heavens, she's—!"

"The Hestia who spent all year cooped up in her room, _that_ Hestia?"

"Baby-face Loli-girl Hestia!"

"What is going on?!"

"Spill everything, now!"

In a blink of an eye, all the bathing goddesses swarmed around Hestia.

Completely ignoring the rules and manners of the Divine Bathhouse, some of the goddesses jumped into the pool, others pushed and shoved their way past the others' peach-colored skin to get a closer look at the girl.

"What's the big deal? Is it that strange that I have a date?"

"It's not that, Hestia, my dear. You've rejected all invitations from men up until now, yes?"

"You're one of the top three virgin goddesses, alongside Athena and Artemis!"

"To be frank, we want to know what kind of man brought down your impenetrable fortress."

Hestia shrank away from Demeter and all the other goddesses piling on questions with a cynical look in her eyes. She tried to tell them that there were no worthwhile gods trying to woo her, but she soon realized that none of the goddesses would settle for a run-of-the-mill answer.

In situations like this, the entertainment-seeking nature of deities completely took over.

"…He's a member of my _Familia_, a human."

A chorus of "Ooohh!" and "Whaaa?" rose from the ring of deities. Even before the echoes of their voices died out, the goddesses started giving opinions like "I knew it!" and asking questions like "Is he taking advantage of your urge to protect him?"

"Are you sure he's not playing you? It would be horrible if you fell for a bad man…"

"What do you take me for? I'm a goddess! I know how to read people."

"The children can hide nothing from us goddesses; we see everything."

"Okay, so what made you fall for that child?"

"His personality, I guess."

Now that she thought about it, there was no one thing that drew her to him. She answered the question quietly to herself under her breath, that if there _was_ one thing, it was his pure honesty.

The goddesses kept up their relentless chatter after that, and Hestia was getting tired of it. So she decided it was time to get out. Besides, it was good timing for her to finish getting ready.

It was a scene an artist would have painted: a glistening young goddess standing in a pool, bathed in sunlight and surrounded by others looking on in delight.

"Hey, Hestia. What's your favorite part about him?"

One of the goddesses raised her hand to get in one last question.

Hestia looked back over her shoulder and gently smiled.

"His…everything."

Escaping from the ring of goddesses, she stood up. Water droplets remained on her slender limbs and body, reflecting light that shone down from a skylight over the bath. Her normally tied jet-black hair hung wet and loose behind her, shining gorgeously in the light.

Hestia closed her eyes and stood there for a moment.

* * *

Amour Square was located one block from Southwest Main. It was a straight shot down a side street.

The area itself was paved with stones of many colors and was surrounded by a green border of various plants and flowers. All this came together to produce a gorgeous atmosphere. As the sun sank in the west, magic-stone lamps came to life around the square, illuminating it under the darkening sky.

It was just before six o'clock. Surrounded by couples walking hand in hand, Bell tried to make himself as small as possible as he waited in front of a statue of a goddess in the middle of Amour Square.

"Bell!"

"Ah…!"

Hestia spotted Bell and walked up to him.

At first, Bell was relieved to hear a familiar voice. But when he looked up at the owner of the voice, he did a double-take.

Hestia had changed her hairstyle. Her usual twin ponytails were let down, and her glossy black hair flowed freely down her back. The young fairy had grown up, and she took Bell's breath away.

The ribbons with bells that she normally used to tie her hair up were wrapped around her wrists like bracelets. She wore the best clothing she owned. Hestia had pulled out all the stops.

Hestia held her breath for a moment, standing in front of Bell. Her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink, she worked up the courage to ask him a question.

"W-well, what do you think? I'm trying out a new look, so…"

"…Wow, I am speechless… uh I mean you look prettier than usual."

Bell's cheek had a bright red shade as he stumbled over his words, trying to praise the goddess. He never thought that she would be this pretty for something like this but yet he controlled his emotions and got back to his senses.

_You are here to cheer her up and make up for yesterday, nothing else got it Bell. _he thought to himself.

Hestia may have looked calm on the outside, but inside she was pumping her fist with a big "Yessss!"

"I meant to get here earlier—sorry, Bell. Did you wait?"

"N-no, I just got here a moment ago."

They looked away from each other, fiddling with their own clothes.

This was beginning to feel so much like a real date that Hestia's cheeks were starting to go numb.

No matter what happened from this point on, nothing could bring down Hestia's high spirits.

"Well then, Bell, you'd better be a good escort for me tonight!"

"I will… and you will love it."

Then he smiled and extended his hand. Hestia was about to take it—then it happened.

They rounded the corner of the square like a pack of wolves.

"There they are!"

"Hestia's here!"

"So then…that guy next to her is…!"

It was the goddesses from the bath. All of the insanely beautiful girls' and women's eyes sparkled with the same fervor as they charged en masse.

Bell froze at the onslaught of deities. Hestia stood next to him, her eyes as wide as they would go.

"Awww! He's so cute!"

"So he's Hestia's type!"

"M-mmpph!"

The swarm pushed Hestia out of the way and swallowed Bell in one swift motion.

Arms from all directions pulled Bell into their owners' breasts, each goddess embracing him one by one.

Oxygen was hard to come by, trapped in the heavenly cage from hell. Bell can't even calculate in what situation he was in a matter of seconds as he struggled to come up for air.

"Nah…Hnnnnn…Hahhhh?!"

"Sorry, Hestia! We wanted to know who it was so badly we couldn't help it. So we followed you…My, my, my! He really does look like a rabbit!"

"Nnn—hnnnn—! L-L-LET GO! Mpf.. off mee!..."

"B-BEEELLLL—!"

Echoes of Hestia's scream bounced around the square.

Bell's life was hanging by a thread. He had fallen into the valley that was Demeter's massive cleavage. None of the other goddesses even came close to her overwhelming chest canyon. Every time Demeter stroked Bell's white hair, pressure built up within Hestia. Veins in her head were bulging to the point that blood should have been shooting out her eyes.

The spearhead of the goddesses' desire for entertainment had struck her personal life, and it was mercilessly trampling everything in its path.

Just when Hestia was about to hit her breaking point—

Clothing disheveled, hair going in all directions, Bell popped out of the group through a small opening.

"Hes…tia…"

"B-Bell! Are you all right?!"

"…I am about to die soon if they keep up like this…!"

"I… I will help you."

Pulling a one-legged Bell out of the swarm by force, Hestia started their escape.

It took a moment for the goddesses to realize their prize was gone; their moment of surprise was the opening that Bell and Hestia needed to get out of Amour Square.

The two of them took off at full speed through the city, keeping an eye out for the pursuit of the relentless deities.

* * *

"Ahhh! Why are they always like this?! Goddesses have no self-control, really!"

"Ha-haaaa…"

Bell grimaced next to a frustrated and yelling Hestia.

The two of them had finally shaken their pursuers in an old bell tower just off West Main. Made of brick, the now silent tower stood by itself with the original—but broken—bell still hanging overhead.

They hid themselves inside the tower until the goddesses passed by, allowing Bell and Hestia to finally relax for a moment.

"It's already the middle of the night…Aww, and tonight was supposed to be our date, too."

"D-date?"

There wasn't much time left before midnight. Hestia let out a long sigh as she fumbled with her hair, which had gotten tangled from running around so much.

The day had come to a lamentable end, and she stewed in it for a moment.

"Hey, take a look at that!"

"…?"

Bell enthusiastically pointed outside to get Hestia's attention.

What unfolded before her as she turned around was the city itself, lit up by magic-stone lamps like stars in the night sky.

More lamps than she could count shone with dazzling colors on every building of Orario.

In the center of it all, a massive white tower pierced the darkness to reach well into the black sky.

Hestia lost herself for a moment in the beautiful view from the top of the old bell tower. She didn't say a word as she looked over at Bell sitting beside her. She could see the entire city's reflection in his shimmering eyes.

Bell felt Hestia's eyes and turned to meet them. Seeing this amazing view side by side with Hestia made him feel warm inside.

"Hestia…Let's go again sometime. For sure."

"Bell…"

"Until then, I will grind and save up enough money for both of us. With that we can eat delicious food, have delicious drinks, and then let's come here."

"…"

"We found this amazing view today…so let's come here again, together."

He continued, telling her that the day had not been wasted.

And that he was glad to share this moment with her.

Bell was trying to keep Hestia's spirits up. It wasn't just for show, either; he really felt that way.

A carefree smile lit up Bell's face and struck a chord with Hestia. She slowly closed her eyes, butterflies dancing in her stomach.

That innocent, honest smile made her even more attracted to the boy, right then and there.

She felt love in the memories she'd made that day, and in Bell's promise of tomorrow.

"I'm looking forward to it, Bell."

"Yes."

She smiled back at him with a grin wide enough to split her face in half.

The two of them looked back outside at the beautiful city and enjoyed what was left of their time alone. Hestia had succeeded in getting closer to him. The feeling made her blush and let her mind be at ease.

_I was going to ask him about that supporter tonight, but…I just don't feel like it anymore._

Now wasn't the time for anything so uncouth, she thought to herself, and took in the view once again.

Feeling the warmth of the boy next to her, she closed her eyes and smiled.

The bells on the hair ribbons she'd tied around her wrists rung faintly, shaking in the cool breeze that flowed through the tower, caressing them both under the old bell.

Hestia looked pleased but this did make Bell aware of one thing. He made her fall for him, the thought will be glued in his mind that he _accidentally_ made someone fall for him yet again.

His main objective was to cheer Hestia up and tell her about the supporter, but he clearly knows that if he starts that topic, her mood will clearly ruin. Bell got along with the sightseeing.

"So shall we go Bell?"

"Yes!"

Hestia wore a soft pink blush on her face, Bell did reply to her with a bright smile but only for show. As they were about to leave by the stairs Bell stopped for some reason.

"What's wrong Bell?"

"Hestia, something came up. I am sorry but can you go by yourself. There is something else I need to do."

"But it's almost late night."

"No need to worry, I will be back soon."

Hestia nodded and went to the stairs. She was upset as this was also supposed to be a part of their date but he left her by herself. She didn't let that get her as she was satisfied that Bell spent time with her. Bell after waving goodbye to his goddess then immediately made a serious look on his face.

"…"

"Show up, she left."

"..."

"Not gonna do until I reach out eh?"

Bell let a sigh and then spun back, his hand tapped something and it flew past falling on the floor. A hat?

The invisible person was now visible, with a quirky grin of his own and holding a straw hat with a feather attached to it. He wore the hat covering his blonde hair and gave his smile to the white-haired man.

"Man… your search skill is as sharp as ever Bell."

"...Hermes..."

The way he said was neither friendly nor with joy, he just scowled looking at him.

"Why are you here?"

"Now now, shall we go somewhere private Bell?"

* * *

The city was in its glory. Even if it was midnight the magic stone lamps shine bright as ever. The two men made their way to a bar which was still open at that time. The same bar where Hestia and Miach visited. The two sat opposite to each other with the lamp hanging over them.

"So, what are you doing here again?"

"Now now, is this the first thing to ask? Come on Bell it's been a long time we have met."

"It's only been two years, Hermes."

Hermes has a casual and playful personality. However, his true nature is someone who is sharp, shrewd, and cunning, becoming serious if needs be. He is eloquent in speech as he is skilled in holding his own when it comes to sounding other people. Hermes met Bell when he was five years old. He is a traveling god so he often visits Zeus and Bell whenever he is near their home.

Hermes had seen Bell training hard every time he visited Zeus, he became a good friend of Bell ever since, seeing his friend after a long time was unexpected for Bell.

He may be a friend but he too is cunning at times but none of that matters to him now, the only thing which matters is what is Hermes doing in Orario.

"I might have not told you but I am an honored god of Orario."

"Honored god?... okay the rest seems fine except the honor part."

"Harsh as ever eh Bell?"

Hermes giggled but this still didn't bring change in Bell's questioned face. The bartender placed two glasses of water. Bell drank first waiting for Hermes to explain why he wanted to talk to him.

"So, why did you want to talk?"

"Ah— before that, I saw you making your moves on Hestia. You have a thing for her?"

"No. I just wanted to cheer her up. There were some things that happened."

"Oh— a lovers quarrel?"

Hermes passed his time teasing the white-haired man but Bell, on the other hand, gave him a stern stare shaking the god a little.

"I have no interest in being in a relationship and you know that."

"...Ya I know that Bell"

Hermes drinks his glass of water. Bell still, patiently waited for Hermes to get back to business.

"I met Zeus again."

"Hm? So how is he doing?"

"He is fine. After you left he started to head out and look for more people to join his familia. He wants to build a familia filled with varieties of heroes and heroines."

"That seems tough on him. But ya after that loss Loki and Freya did ban us from Orario."

"Hahaha… and little the trickster and the beauty know that you are the last standing Famil—"

"Keep it low you Idiot!"

Bell covered Hermes's mouth as quickly as possible, there were few customers who were present at the moment and were giving a look to them but they didn't mind the two men. After Hermes completely shuts his mouth a sigh escaped Bell's mouth, what a relief. If someone learned that he still has Zeus's hidden falna he is done for good.

"You almost blew it you idiot."

"S-Sorry about that Bell."

"So, does he have a message or something?"

"Not in particular."

"So, why do you want to talk to me?"

"Well, I thought it's been a long time since we met so how about having a chat with a good ol' friend of mine."

"Is that it? It's almost midnight Hermes!"

"Haha…"

Hermes now gets a little serious, an aura of seriousness has been invoked by him. Bell waited for Hermes' next words.

"He wants me to keep an eye on you."

_Keep an eye on me but why I have his blessings so he can sense how am I doing._

Bell's expression made it easy for Hermes to read his thoughts, he continued.

"Even if you have his blessings, he wants me to physically check on you."

"I see…"

"..."

"Hermes, I wanted to ask something."

"Ask me? Oh… I am here for my best friend… come at me with your problem"

"Grandpa shares everything about me with you right, that also includes my progress and skills that I learned."

"Yup. And I can see how far you have come my boy!"

The blonde god gave a cheerful smile to the albino but he rather seemed disturbed with one thing.

"Then, why am I still Level 1?"

"—?"

"All these years of training and I am still Level 1, why?"

That took the straw hat man by surprise, he is asking this after a long time of training. Hermes kept his composure and answered his question.

"Cus you never went on real adventures I guess or say the monsters or foes you dealt with were not enough to make you earn excelia. But in terms of skills and intelligence, you are amazing Bell."

"...I guess you are right. Well nice chatting with you Hermes, I have to leave else Hestia will be mad at me again."

"Okay… see ya later pal"

The blonde waved to the white. After his leave, a certain girl with aqua blue hair wearing her glasses stood behind the god.

"Is that him Lord Hermes?"

"Yes he is Asifi."

The god replied back with a dull smile, seeing this his child asked for him with concern.

"Did something happen?"

"No— nothing. Why don't we go home Asifi?"

"You were the one who wanted to see the newcomer, not me."

Asfi sighed and then started arguing with the god but he on the other hand kept on teasing the girl. The thought of Bell's question also bothered him, he could answer if this was the right time but for now, he has a job to look after the albino.

"_I will make sure to tell him when the time comes."_

* * *

**Note: I have been lazy for a while but here is another episode for you. The reviews of why Bell is still Level 1 or how he can have Zeus's falna hidden while Hestia's blessing is there will be explained in the future as the story progresses. Well hope you did not wait that long. Till next time! :D**


	11. Episode 10

**Episode 10: Magic! Magic that summons a mother's lap?**

There was a flash of silver light.

"Grrooaaaaahhhhhhh!"

The light carved a line from the head of the skeleton monster—the spartoi—straight through its body. The monster let out one last dying cry.

Spartois looked like human skeletons, with the exception of pieces of armor attached to different places all over their bodies. They were truly fearsome beasts. With sharp angles at every corner of their frame and wielding white bones as weapons, they were every inch the cursed, skeletal warriors they appeared to be.

This beast was categorized at level four, and it guarded its territory in the deep levels of the Dungeon very well. This time, however, it was slain in the blink of an eye.

"…"

The warrior whipped her sword to the ground, the overwhelming power of her attack causing everyone around her to break out in a cold sweat.

Bones, bones, bones, bones.

Bones littered the ground as far as the eye could see. These white fragments of their former forms were all that remained of a group of at least ten spartois that met their demise at this spot.

Blond hair, golden eyes.

A girl with beauty to rival the gods stood in the middle of this gruesome graveyard.

"…And she did it all herself."

"She'd be a lot cuter if she pretended to be in trouble every now and then…"

In the time it took for her allies to speak those words, the blond girl—Aiz Wallenstein—silently sheathed her narrow sword and turned to join them.

"Nice, nice! Good work, Aiz! Need a potion? Or an elixir? How about one of your favorite sweet-bean-flavored potato puffs?"

"I'm fine, Tiona, thanks…But I want the last one."

"Why would she need a potion anyway? There isn't a scratch on her."

"In any case, the monsters have been taken care of…What should we do now, Finn?"

"Hmm, should we head home? We came here for fun, so it would be a real buzzkill if we ran out of food and had to go back hungry. What're your thoughts, Reveria?"

They were standing in the thirty-seventh level of the Dungeon. Members of _Loki Familia_ had journeyed down to the level known as the "Lower Fortress." The party was very small, only seven members including their supporters. Aiz Wallenstein led the group of only five top-class adventurers.

This time was indeed just for fun. Unlike their earlier expedition, a few _Loki Familia_ members with some free time on their hands had gathered together to do a little dungeon prowling.

Why were they here? They were bored.

Countless adventurers make it this deep into the Dungeon only to lose lives. The fact that any of them could say this was "for fun" spoke volumes about their true power.

"I'll go with the leader's decision…Hey, you two, we're packing up!"

The normally aloof elf, Reveria, raised her voice.

Tiona and Tione, two Amazonian sisters with skin the color of wheat, nodded in acknowledgment. Aiz, holding a potato puff in both hands, slumped her shoulders in disappointment.

Food provisions were a common problem whenever a party of adventurers journeyed this deep into the Dungeon.

"But ya know, if Bete were here he'd be putting up quite a fuss right about now. He always tries to act like a big shot in front of Aiz. It pisses me off, seriously."

"After that night at the bar, when we told him after he sobered up that Aiz flat-out rejected him, he almost cried! So depressed!"

"Ohhh?! I really wanted to see that! Why didn't you tell me, Tione?!"

"Well, most importantly. I was surprised to see that the white-haired man verbally tore off the wolf."

"Ya, I have seen nobody this gutsy to dare talk like that to a high ranking adventurer. Now that I think about it, he helped us with killing the new monster too right?"

"Hm, seems like it, but who is he?"

The two Amazons looked at the potato puff munching Aiz in hope to get any info about that certain white-haired guy who trash talked the wolf, though he did the right thing. Aiz, even though she knows she denied responding to their looks.

There wasn't much for them to do in terms of getting ready to leave. This was because collecting magic stones was the supporters' job, and Aiz had already annihilated all the monsters in the area. The sisters created a very relaxed atmosphere as the two supporters, who just ranked up to Level Three, went to work on the remains of the spartois.

Aiz looked up from her potato puff to voice her own opinion.

"Finn, Reveria. I would like to stay behind, alone."

The two people she named had very different reactions to her request. Finn's eyes opened a little wider; Reveria's expression remained unchanged, save for her closing one eye.

Ignoring the stunned Tiona and Tione, Aiz expanded on her request.

"You don't have to leave any food for me. I don't want to cause any problems for anyone. Please."

"W-wait—! You're causing us problems just by saying that! If we left you behind, we'd be too worried to think straight!"

"I agree with Tiona. No matter how low the monsters' levels are, I can't abandon an ally this deep in the Dungeon. It's much too dangerous."

Aiz looked sad, facing Tiona, who stood with her hands on her hips and leaned in to within inches of Aiz's nose. She couldn't refuse Tione's opinion, either.

She knew what the girls were saying was unquestionably right.

"Why do you want to fight that much? It's such a waste, Aiz! You're so lovely! You should act more like a lady! How can you be losing to me, an Amazon, in fashion sense?"

"I…don't care about that…"

"Why not? Don't you want a good strong male…or some fellow you favor, at least? Is that pretty face just a decoration?"

"Stop telling others to do things you wouldn't do yourself."

Reveria took in a deep breath, standing one step away from the silent, slouching Aiz.

Turning to Finn, the elf opened her mouth to speak.

"I will ask on her behalf as well. Please respect Aiz's wishes."

"Reveria?!"

"Hmm?"

The shortest of the group, a prum, looked up at Reveria as if trying to figure out her intention.

"This one doesn't often make selfish statements. I want you to listen."

"You can't treat her like a parent looking after a child, Reveria. Tiona and Tione are in the right. As long as it's my responsibility that everyone gets back safely, I can't approve of this."

"I'm aware that I'm spoiling her…So."

Reveria let out a second sigh and looked in Aiz's direction.

Looking at the sad eyes of the girl who normally didn't show emotion, the elf laughed a bit inside at herself.

She then locked eyes with Finn.

"I shall remain as well."

She declared her intention to support Aiz.

Finn looked back into the elf's eyes, her hand on her chin. She slowly nodded, as if this decision was extremely important.

"Okay, go ahead."

"Huh? Finn, talk some sense into them!"

"As long as Reveria is with her, I doubt the worst will happen. On the other hand, we might run into trouble on the way back."

"Because I can't attack or heal anyone, right, Captain?"

Things happened quickly after the leader made up his mind.

Finn's group with the supporters said their good-byes to the two staying behind and left.

Standing in the only entrance to the room, Tiona turned around and gave a big wave to Aiz and Reveria.

"Thanks, Reveria."

"While I would like you to stop, it's too late now. I will say this, though: I better not have to fight."

"…Sorry."

The two girls didn't look at each other, but there was a great deal of trust within their words.

The thirty-seventh level was different from the upper floors in that it was almost completely dark. The ceiling was so high that it couldn't be seen with the naked eye. A black abyss hung over the heads of adventurers who passed through these halls.

Small spots of phosphorescence, flickering at equal intervals like candles along the milky white dungeon walls, were the only visual cues.

The two of them stayed at that spot in silence as a questioning look grew on Reveria's face.

Sensing something, Aiz withdrew her sword.

"It's here."

"What's here?"

Aiz's eyes squinted, ready for battle. She was going to respond to the elf's question, but there was no need—Reveria quickly realized what was happening.

The floor beneath them was starting to crack.

"Can it be…"

Reveria's whisper reached Aiz just as the blond girl's golden eyes fixed on a point in the middle of the massive room.

She blinked and the ground split open.

Dirt and gravel were pushed aside as a giant stuck its head out of the floor.

_Crack, crack, crack._ The horrible sound of the earth being torn apart echoed through the chamber. Pieces of the floor that were lifted up by the thing's massive frame fell to the dungeon floor like a landslide, a deafening roar growing louder by the second.

A skull, then collarbones, ribs, and a pelvis appeared. A black skeleton was being born from the dungeon floor. Every movement it made sent a shock wave through the room. The entire thirty-seventh level was shaking.

It was as if the Dungeon were howling in celebration of the birth of its favorite son.

"NGOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!"

The two adventurers stood below as the giant monster let out an awful groan of a birth-cry.

The gargantuan monster howled at the ceiling. It stood more than ten meters tall.

It was black from head to toe—a giant skeleton from hell. Most of its lower body was still within the dungeon floor, and two large projections emerged from the top of its skull. It was like a spartoi had just kept on growing.

Two blood-red sparks flickered to life deep within the skull's eye sockets.

The creature's magic stone hovered weightlessly inside the chest, protected by a cage of bones.

"So then, three months have passed…"

As a general rule, the number and type of monsters on each floor didn't change.

A single type of monster couldn't overrun a floor, and new monsters were born to replace those slain by adventurers. While there was some difference in time required for new monsters to spawn on each floor, it never took more than one day.

In the middle of all that, there was a type of monster that did not revive immediately after being slain. Its interval of rebirth was much longer.

Also, there was only one of this kind of monster on each floor at a time.

Perhaps because they were too strong or too big, the Dungeon only allowed one of them on a floor, and never more than that.

The Guild had known about these special monsters from ancient times, and had a name for them.

"A Monster Rex."

"Reveria, leave it to me."

All varieties of Monster Rex look different but have two things in common: They had a long revival interval and were _extremely_ powerful.

It had been said that each one was fully two levels above the rest of the monsters on their floor.

Even the highest-level adventurers respected and feared them, calling them "floor bosses." Usually many adventurers had to work together to bring one of them down.

"Aiz, do you really intend to fight alone?"

A worried Reveria looked at the girl with severe eyes.

Aiz raised her sword and walked calmly toward Udaios, the Monster Rex threateningly roaring in her direction.

"Not a problem."

The gods sung the praises of this, their "boss character, second class." But the girl now faced it down alone.

"I'll be done in a moment."

A week later, rumors of a Level Six kenki would spread throughout Orario.

* * *

"…?"

Bell came to a halt.

He turned his neck to look back over his shoulder, down the stairway connecting the lower first and second floors.

"What's the matter, Mr. Bell?"

"…Is it just me or did the Dungeon just shake?"

Lilly looked up at Bell as he tried his best to look deep into the second level—no, even farther into the Dungeon.

"Shake? Lilly didn't feel a thing."

"…Was it just me?"

Bell's senses were on full alert. Even waiting for a few moments didn't calm him down. Craning his neck and cocking an eyebrow, he decided that it really just was his imagination. But still he took it as if something happened, perhaps another irregularity or… something even more dangerous.

"It was a long day today."

"Yes, it was. But not just a long day, a very long day! It's already twelve o'clock at night."

"Huh? Really?!"

She nodded yes, her golden watch necklace clasped in her hand.

The big and small hands on the clock face were very close to overlapping.

"Whoa, I had no clue…"

"Because the monsters kept coming at the end."

Lilly said that there was no time to look at her watch, her bulging backpack shaking with every word. They had picked up many drop items that day, and there was no room left in her oversized backpack.

Several days had passed since they signed their contract.

With Lilly's help, Bell had had some very productive days in the Dungeon. Perhaps he had adjusted to the life of an adventurer. His daily kill count was increasing by leaps and bounds till Eina's recommended levels. And now he was going full speed toward his own goal.

Bell sure was continuously surprised by how much difference the presence of one supporter could make.

Meanwhile, Lilly was confounded by the freakishly high kill count of this supposed newbie adventurer every day.

"So then, fifty-fifty on today's loot?"

"…Mr. Bell, I think you need to learn about the value of money and common sense. It may not be Lilly's place to say, because Lilly is very grateful…but Mr. Bell is too generous."

"But you need money now, right, Lilly?"

"That's true…But it's like Lilly can't stand to see you vulnerable, like Lilly's taking care of someone else's pet rabbit and is worried about every little thing…Lilly feels like she's being poisoned."

"Hey, come now Lilly."

_She's been giving me a lot of these lectures recently_, Bell thought to himself.

Their relationship had been like an ordinary person working with an aristocrat until a short while ago. But the etiquette and protocol for interacting with strangers had been long-since discarded. Bell felt as though the gap between them had been bridged—like he and Lilly were becoming friends. And that's what he wanted the most.

Bell and Lilly traveled through level one, tossing any goblins that appeared in their path aside like tissue paper, and left the Dungeon. After a quick shower and a trip to Babel's Exchange, the two of them left the front gate.

"Wow, you weren't kidding! It's very late…"

Central Park, the open area around Babel Tower, was covered by a curtain of darkness.

Amid the lights of the magic-stone lamps embedded in the walls of the city, there was a silence that was completely different from the afternoon.

On the other hand, all the bars in the distance looked as lively as ever even at this hour.

"…It really is huge."

Bell's eyes did a circuit around Central Park until his gaze finally landed on the tower itself.

It pierced the evening sky. Babel stood calmly, looking down over them.

Even though it was impossible to see at this time of night, Bell knew that there were meticulous designs carved into the tower from corner to corner.

The outside was almost a work of art; it didn't match the practical facilities on the inside. Bell took a deep breath, staring at the tower that embodied the extravagance and dignity of the gods themselves.

"I wonder, why is Babel Tower so tall? It's great that the Guild rents out spaces to tenants, but hauling things all the way up to the fiftieth floor seems like more trouble than it's worth…"

"Mr. Bell, the Guild's tenants only go to the twentieth floor, you know?"

"Um…is that right?"

Lilly lips twitched ever so slightly at the look of cluelessness in Bell's eyes.

Bell decided to ask her directly.

"If it's not filled with stores, then what the heck is above the twentieth floor?"

"Gods and goddesses reside on those floors, Mr. Bell."

"…The gods?"

"Yes. Just the heads of the many _Familias_ in Orario are allowed to live there, but their rooms go up to the top."

It seemed only natural that gods, who had a taste for the extravagant, would want to live in Babel Tower, the symbol of the Labyrinth City Orario. Each room was equipped with the most advanced and elegant amenities, but the real draw was the view. No other buildings were allowed to climb that high, so the gods could see the entire city from out their window.

Gods paid a very high rent to the Guild in order to live there. However, if they had enough money to ignore that detail, then they could inhabit the highest-class dwelling in all of Orario.

In other words, only the richest, most powerful gods and goddesses could live there.

"Ohh…So there are gods who don't live at home but choose to live apart from their _Familias."_

"Think of it like a private room, Mr. Bell. While there are gods who like to talk and interact with us, there are other gods who like their privacy. That's how their image has been since ancient times."

Bell nodded in understanding.

"Lilly has heard that Babel Tower wasn't always this high. It used to be the lid over the Dungeon, but it wasn't any bigger than the other buildings around it."

"I kinda have a glimpse of this tower's history, it was the time when the first gods came down, the tower was destroyed…They came down like shooting stars and hit the tower if I am not wrong."

Like they did it on purpose. Bell scratched his chin leaving Lilly a bit surprised.

"Mr. Bell, you knew about this?"

"Uh… I kinda heard about it from Hestia."

Those gods completely _destroyed_ the finished tower and laughed at the crying faces of the ancient people of Orario. In his mind, Bell could see the citizens' faces, mouths half open, tears rolling down their cheeks, as well as the cackling gods trying to apologize. He let out an expressionless look and could only wonder if the first person to crash was his grandpa or any other god he knew, but whoever it was they ruined the work of those people for sure. With that a sigh escapes his mouth.

"Since then, it's been known as Babel the Falling Tower. That could be another reason why gods live here now."

Lilly continued by saying that the gods apologized by contributing to the rebuilding effort…and by deterring the Dungeon monsters. Their method: Falna.

The people of the time revered the blessings of strength they received from the gods and allowed them to live in Babel as a way of showing their appreciation.

Soon, many gods and goddesses began appearing on Gekai—the lower world, to them—and created the groups known as _Familias_ in many places around the world. Their worshipper–worshippee relationship continued as Babel was built higher and higher to represent the gods' influence on Gekai.

Babel Tower grew to its current height as a result, as well as gained the image of a shrine to the power of the gods.

"I understand…Whenever I hear stories about the gods, I can't help but wonder just how boring their world is. They'd have to be bored enough to want to leave the heavens and come down here, right?"

"Maybe they hated their jobs enough to run away?"

Bell had been looking at the tower during their conversation, but these words got his attention and he turned to face Lilly.

"Lilly's heard that the gods had many responsibilities in Tenkai—the upper world. Their most important one is taking care of us, their children, when we go to eternal sleep."

"Are you referring to death here?"

"Yes. They're in charge of guiding people after they die."

There was no typical reaction to this topic for Bell, but he suddenly felt chills running through his spines. The word ''death'' and ''judgment'' is strong enough to give him a PTSD on spot. He calmed himself down before his supporter noticed him.

Basically Lilly's point, in short, was that the gods would decide what happened to mortals after death. To put it another way, they judged everyone's souls.

The treatment of a soul could vary wildly, depending on the god responsible for it. It might be allowed to live on in Tenkai, or it could suffer unimaginable pain, or be forced into endless, meaningless hard labor…If one were to begin listing the possibilities, the list would never end.

The fate of all the souls released from the bonds of Gekai hinged on the caprices of the gods. The concept of being a good or bad person during life didn't enter into it.

The gods either liked you or they didn't. Their mood determined heaven or hell.

A "judgment" free of rules and regulations, instead based on whims and opinions, awaited them.

"Then again, most souls just get reincarnated anyway…Since there is all this work to be done, the gods still up in Tenkai have to pick up the slack left behind by the gods living down here. They're overworked with no time to rest. They'd be angry, wouldn't they? The next ones to come here will have a very intense 'discussion' to determine the order they leave."

_Yup...I don't wanna go there…I don't wanna die…_Bell was deep in thought.

If he were to go up there now, they'd put him through to hell. For his sins that he made during his past. A sweat drops down to the ground from Bell's forehead, even thinking that his karma would return back to him.

As if she could see where Bell thoughts were taking him, Lilly reached up and shook his shoulder.

He snapped out of it and gave her a stressed smile.

Something was off.

"…But there was a time when Lilly longed for death."

That was it.

Those words were like a punch in the gut.

"…eh?"

"If Lilly went before the gods…if Lilly could be reborn…the new Lilly would surely be better than the current one…"

Lilly stared at the top of Babel—no, farther out into the heavens as she spoke.

Her hood folded back as she looked up, exposing her chestnut hair and big, round eyes. They were blank.

It seemed like she was looking into the sky, yearning to go home.

"L-Lilly!"

Bell suddenly yelled.

He felt like if he didn't, Lilly might just disappear completely… _in Darkness_?

Lilly slowly closed her eyes, breaking off her staring contest with the stars, and looked up at Bell with her eyes hidden behind her bangs.

"Sorry for saying such an odd thing."

"…"

"That was a long time ago. Please don't take Lilly seriously. Lilly's stronger now. Lilly doesn't have those thoughts anymore."

"... Is something up Lily?"

"No, as Lily said it is nothing Mr. Bell."

Lilly puffed out her chest with a small grunt, and there was no sadness in her body language whatsoever. She must have recovered from something in her past or she still has to. BEll stared at the girl no- precisely her current surroundings.

"Well, it's already very late, Mr. Bell. Let's hurry home. Lilly has to go back to her _Familia_ tonight, too."

A bright and cheerful Lilly turned her back to the tower. She moved away from it, taking little steps. Bell was left standing staring at the little girl.

"Not too soon, you will make your move to steal something from me Lilly, looking at your familia, you need someone to save you," Bell muttered to himself, "But I need to be patient at times like this."

A sigh escaped the boy's mouth, as he was making his way home yet again he felt a gaze hanging over him. A gaze filled with love, lust and a thirst to obtain him, keep him for herself. That strong determination to get his attention and take him away from everyone just to make him hers! Only hers.

"Well, I guess my dad's looks are gonna be troublesome. And now I clearly know who wants me that badly."

His attention averted to the gaze which is estimated to be coming from the top-most level of the Babel. The albino gave a smirk to a certain female. This caused the female to fall on her knees with pleasure…

_He noticed me…._

_He noticed…_

"Ahhh… Oh how long I wanted you to notice me."

The feminine figure stood near the giant glass window viewing the paradise, placing her hands on the glass, looking at the albino with overflowing lust and love.

"Not too soon, I will make you mine for sure."

The giggles of the goddess of beauty was heard across her room.

* * *

"Ah-choo!"

Syr let out a cute little sneeze.

She blushed behind her hands, covering her mouth. All of the staff in the bar around her stopped what they were doing to look her way. Syr's face got even redder, and she looked at the floor.

"Syr, have you caught a cold?"

"N-no. I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

Syr forced a smile through her rosy cheeks in response to the elf Ryu's question.

Syr's blue-gray hair was tied into its usual style, a bun with a ponytail in the middle. Her ponytail shook as she waved her hands, trying to convince the elf she was okay.

"Maybe someone's talking about you?"

"The answer's obvious! Mya-ha-ha, it's that adventurer boy, meow!"

"You're going to make me angry, Chloe."

Syr hung her shoulders, glaring at the catgirl who wore a very feline grin on her face.

The girl named Chloe did nothing in response, simply staring back with that same smile. Moreover, she was moving one of the bar's tables and playfully whipping her tail back and forth under her skirt.

Syr let out a heavy sigh.

"But that adventurer didn't come in last night!"

"Even though he always returns the empty basket after eating Syr's lovey-dovey lunch, meow!"

"Syr even opened early and looked for him, meow!"

"I didn't go looking for him!"

All of the staff was setting up tables to prepare for the day, but they took turns teasing the human girl from all sides. Syr yelled at them from the middle of the bar, but the girls showed no signs of learning their lesson. They continued circling her like cockroaches, the same grin on their faces.

"Do not worry, Syr. Mr. Cranel is not the type of man who would neglect your feelings for him. I'm positive he was just late coming out of the Dungeon and didn't have time last night."

"If that's supposed to make me feel better, Ryu…No, never mind, I give up."

The elf watched in confusion as Syr got frustrated. "It's just a misunderstanding," said Syr, but the always serious Ryu didn't seem to understand.

Syr had been making lunch for Bell every day since she first gave him her own lunch. She didn't really know why, but everyone around her had come to this conclusion.

Bell usually returned the basket at night after eating the lunch in the Dungeon. However, he hadn't shown up the previous night. And now this morning she was getting teased by her coworkers.

"You don't think he bit the dust, do you, meow?"

"You shouldn't say that, Anya. You're being imprudent. That adventurer would never leave Syr behind!"

"I'm tired of this…"

"Syr, hold yourself together. I'm sure Mr. Cranel is fine."

"No, Ryu, that's not what I meant…"

"What Ryu said, meow! That boy's too strong to die! If he did, my heart will be torn apart…"

Suddenly all the girls started talking at once.

"No way…" "Chloe, too…?" and other phrases of disbelief were muttered in every corner of the bar.

A very frustrated and confused Syr turned left and right saying, "Eh? What?"

"He is irreplaceable, meow! You couldn't find another like him anywhere."

"Chloe…? What are you saying?"

The catgirl looked to the sky as she spoke. Now Syr really had no clue.

The catgirl took her eyes off the ceiling and planted them firmly on Syr.

"Syr, I need to make a confession…"

"A-and that is…?"

"I…sure do like his tight li'l bod! His booty turns meow on…!"

"…"

"When I think about the ripe fruit inside his thin pants…mya-ha-ha! Ah, all the dirty things I would do…! I want—Oww! Ouch—!"

"…"

"A…wait—Oww, s-sorry! I give up! Uncle!"

All the other employees stopped what they were doing and rushed to stop Syr.

The Benevolent Mistress had been filled with an unusual amount of noise this morning.

"Oi! You dim-witted lasses! Quit playin'! Back t' workin'!"

The owner Mia's voice boomed from the backroom door as she looked over the girls' lack of progress.

The "dim-witted lasses" jumped in surprise before hurriedly returning to their duties. "Of all the…" the dwarf woman started to say as she shrugged her shoulders.

"…Hmm? Syr, what's that?"

"Huh?"

Syr's human coworker pointed behind her, and she spun around to look.

It was at the counter, right where Syr had prepared a special place for Bell the first time he'd visited The Benevolent Mistress.

On the chair where Bell had sat that night was a book.

"What's this…?"

"Someone dropped it?" "What's that, meow?" "Something wrong, meow?"

Syr picked up the book with both hands, her coworkers peering over her shoulders to get a look for themselves.

"I'm not clever enough to read, meow." "Me too, meow."

"Yes, I know, so shut up."

"Why I oughta—"

"Syr, what is it?"

"There's a book here…It's not one of ours. Maybe a customer left it behind?"

"Ohh…? It wasn't there last night…"

"Right, right! Runoa's mistake, mistake, meow! If it's not a customer's book, what would that mean, meow? Somebody snuck into the bar and left it there, meow? The idea's so full of holes, me feels sick…"

"As always, the idiot with useless knowledge, meow…"

"What?! I'll cut you!"

Ignoring the commotion behind them, Ryu and Syr took a closer look at the book. Completely white and very thick, it smelled like old paper.

It was lined with many undecipherable figures and patterns. There was no title.

"…Wait a moment. This—"

Ryu realized something, but before she could get it into words, Mama Mia's roar of anger filled the room.

"How many times ya gonna make me say somethin'?! Words not good enough for ya?! Time for this dwarfess t' beat some discipline into y'all!"

Everyone froze with fear.

"W-wait, Mama, meow! We found something suspicious, meow!"

"This! This here!"

"Syr, hurry up and show her already!"

"Huh? Somethin' suspicious?"

Ushered on by peer pressure, Syr gave an "Um, okay…" and stepped a few paces forward, the rest of the girls behind her. Syr's blue-gray hair shaking, she showed a very serious-looking Mia the book in her hands.

"Mama Mia, it looks like someone left this book behind by accident. What should we do about it?"

"…Whaaa?"

The entire staff watched with bated breath as Mia thoroughly looked over both Syr and the book with a deep scowl on her face.

Ryu couldn't understand why Mia would have that look on her face. It was because the dwarfess had once been an adventurer herself and could still run with the best of them. But Ryu had never seen Mia wear this expression before.

As the elf tried to make sense of it all, Mia's sharp eyes hadn't left the book. She then gave instructions to Syr in a voice so gruff it was more suitable for a battlefield than a peaceful café.

"…Put it somewhere it can be seen. If the owner's not an idiot, they'll realize it's gone and come lookin' for it."

"Yes, understood."

After Syr lowered her head in a polite bow, the staff scattered.

The fear of this new kind of anger in Mama Mia's eyes drove them to work harder than ever.

Ryu stopped for a moment when she happened to see two of her coworkers having a friendly chat, but sighed and got back to work by herself.

"Uhm… Is Syr here?"

The person who was in the context a few minutes ago presented himself on the entrance of the Benevolent Mistress. As Syr saw Bell, she quickly went to greet him, gaining the eyes of her co-workers.

"Hello Bell"

"Hey, Uh… I am sorry, I forgot to return this basket back to you."

"Oh.. it's okay Bell."

Syr looks at me kindly, a soft smile on her face.

"But, yes. Without any news, I was starting to get worried about you. So worried that I was making mistakes at work."

"Uh… Syr there is no need for you to worry about someone like me."

"Why are you saying that? I have the right to think about a friends well-being too, you know."

_Friends? When did that happen?_

Syr just stood with her soft smile but I can sense some stares from her behind, well gotta keep going.

"I'm really sorry about that…"

"…Do you know how much they teased me?"

"Huh?"

She suddenly has a twinge of resentment in her eyes. My eyes open wide. She blushes, turning her cheeks a pinkish red before she does one of her very obvious coughs. Either ways I return the basket and pick up a menu.

Saying good-bye right after returning the basket after all of this would just be wrong. But more than that my actions seem to disturb her work, maybe I should stop taking lunch from her or will that be a bit rude…

"Look Syr, if thinking about my well being disturbs your work then I might as well not trouble you with lunch."

"NO I AM FINE WITH IT!"

"Woah!"

Syr's sudden response was unexpected. She leaned on close to me, only five centimeters distance between us, not too soon her face fully turned pink after realising how close our faces were. She backed away, and me on the other hand would only scratch my back hairs.

Well the workers seem to give Syr a teasing smile which made her angry and annoyed at the same time.

"Look Syr, If you are okay with making me lunch then I will take it, but no need to worry about me. I am stronger and older enough to understand how to handle the situation."

"Uhm… how old are you?"

"Eh? Why do you want to know?"

"J-Just for knowing that's all."

Syr tried to cover her pink face with the basket and she rolled her eyes away from me, well I was confused of what to respond or read her mind I just told her.

"18 years..."

"Hm…."

She dropped her hands holding basket and gave me a big smile, my body suddenly got goosebumps on not knowing why.

"Hehe…. He is already all ripen nya- OWWWW!"

Chloe's big mistake, as soon as her words escaped Ryu strongly stomped on the cat-person's foot making her wail in pain. As the two turned to look she was rubbing her leg with her hands.

"Uh… is she doing good?"

"Ya… she sometimes becomes clumsy… right chloe?"

That last part made chill run down the cat-person's spine, she got up quickly and headed back to her work.

"See I told you."

"Ya…."

_This place is filled with crazy people for sure._

"Well then I take my leave now."

"W-wait I made lunch for you today again, here wai-"

"N-No need Syr, I am not going to dungeon for two days."

Well I told Syr about how my party mate has trouble with her work so I decided to rest for the time being. She was sad for me not taking her lunch today but she was happy to hear that I will accept her lunch daily.

_Welp I guess I made another girl go after me, and like I promised I have to make sure not to break her heart._

Thoughts aside, before I was about to take my leave a big white book caught my eye. It's leaned up against the wall. It doesn't match the interior very well.

"Syr, what is that book?"

I pointed towards the wall, the same time the owner of the pub Mia gave a stern look at the book. Syr noticed it but she answered Bell's question casually.

"I believe it was left behind by one of our customers. We wanted to make sure they could see it when they came back for it, so we put it there."

"Oh," I respond in a weak voice. So there really are people who can forget something like that when at a bar.

"Why don't you try some literature?"

"Literature?"

"Yes. You don't read books very often, right, Bell? Why don't you take a chance and read?"

"Yeah, I stopped reading them after sometime, might as well try reading them again. Better than staying bored at home doing nothing."

"So then, why don't you try reading this?"

"Huh? But this book, it's someone else's, right? They forgot it here."

"As long as you bring it back, there shouldn't be a problem. Books don't disappear after someone reads them. Plus, I think it belongs to an adventurer, so there might be something useful for you in here."

Many adventurers come to this bar; more than likely the owner of this book is one, too. It's a rare book that I've never seen before, that's for sure. This might be my only chance to read something like it.

Then again, I'd be getting my fingerprints all over someone else's book…

…

Wait a minute… this book…

I doubted that it must be _that! _I think off but it doesn't seem like it. I glanced at Mia who was still giving me a serious look as if she was telling me _this is yours, take it and leave._

"Ya… thanks this might do it."

I chuckled with a sweatdrop leaving the Benevolent Mistress.

"_Syr, you gave him that book…?"_

"_Yep, I did."_

"_For someone as straightforward and honest as you to give out the bar's property like that…Never thought it would happen."_

"_Don't you two know love is blind, meow? Syr, you should let your hair down more often, meow!"_

* * *

I open the book the moment I get home.

Since Hestia isn't home yet, I set the book down on the table with one hand.

Getting a little anxious, I pull out a chair, sit down, and look over the title page without a title.

_Mirror, Mirror: The Fairest Witch in the Land Is ME: An Autobiography (With Appendix: Awaken Your Magic!)_

Right off the bat, it sounds childish…

_Chapter 1: Modern Magic Even Goblins Can Understand!_

Teaching magic to goblins. No one should do that…

I want to close the book right now, but I decide to bear with it. I force my eyes across the characters on the page with all the endurance I can muster.

The top parts are painful, but the content actually isn't that bad.

Just like the words on the title page said, this book seems to be about magic.

"Ooohhh!" My eyes light up with sudden anticipation and I dive back into the pages.

_There are two types of Magic: innate and acquired. As the term "innate" suggests, this type of magic can be used by various races based on genetics. From ancient times, these races have had the potential to become magic users within them and are trained in magic at a young age through rituals. While the types of magic they can use are rather limited, the strength and scale of these spells are often very high._

_It's written in Koine, the common language, so even I can understand it, with some effort._

_But what are these characters between the lines…?_

_Not wording…maybe some kind of equation?_

_Next page._

_Acquired magic refers to the possibility of Magic given to those people who receive "Falna," and appears on its own. With almost no restrictions, this kind of magic takes many different forms. The effect of the Magic depends heavily on excelia._

_This is different from hieroglyphs, and different from any language of the races of people._

_Nothing in common with itself, just a strange grouping of marks._

_The passage…the sea of characters is pulling me in._

_Next page._

_Magic is interest. This is a vital factor for all acquired magic. What holds your interest—what do you accept, hate, want, grieve for, worship, swear to, long for? The trigger is already within you. Your Falna will carve your soul into a blazing sun._

_A picture has appeared._

_It's a head. It has eyes. It has a nose. It has a mouth. It has ears. It's a person's face._

_A human face with closed eyes is drawn out in black. A picture made from the words of the passage._

_Next page._

_If you desire it, answer. If you desire it, break. If you desire it, focus! A terrible mirror of truth lies before you._

_No. That's my face. My face, with nothing above the forehead._

_No—it's a mask. It's another face of me. A me that I didn't know, another me._

_Next page._

_Now, let's begin._

_The eyes open. It speaks with my voice._

_The ruby-red letters that spell out the eyes shoot through me. Short passages that make up the small lips spin words._

_Next page._

_What is magic to me?_

I don't know.

But it's something great and mysterious.

A finishing move to slay monsters. A mysterious power used by heroes to come back from near death.

Strong, fierce, merciless, overwhelming.

What I've always wanted to have, just once. What I've been yearning for.

_Next page._

_What is magic to me?_

Power.

Great power.

A big weapon that will defeat my weak self.

A grand weapon that will inspire my weak self.

Not a noble shield to protect my allies, nor anything so elegant as a healing hand.

A heroic power to clear away the obstacles in my path.

_Next page._

_What kind of a thing is magic to me?_

Thing?

_What kind of thing?_

Fire.

Magic has to be fire. It's the first thing I think of when I hear the word "magic."

Strong, ferocious, hot.

Burn the plains, scatter the ash, scorch the air, envelop everything in waves of flame and heat haze, crimson tongues of flame nothing like my normal weakness.

Hotter than anything else, never going out…immortal flame.

I want to become a flame.

_What do you seek in magic?_

To surpass my limits and go far beyond them.

To get stronger than them.

To get faster than them.

I… want to keep up with their expectations.

_That's all?_

If I can. If I can. If I can.

I want to become a hero.

I have always wanted to be a hero, and like a fool I've pursued that dream.

Just like the ones who were there for me. A hero who is loved and praised by all.

No matter how pathetic a fantasy, how vain and indignant, how miserably unsuited I am for it. No matter if I am to be the one to dirty his hands to save someone… I want to become enough of a hero for the people I care about.

_You're such a child._

…Sorry. But no matter how old I get… I will always be a child by heart.

Because, that is who I am!

The me inside the book smiles.

Then everything goes black.

**LINE**

"…ll…ell—"

I hear a voice.

My mind comes out of the darkness as a pretty voice echoes in my ears.

Light shines itchily into the darkness.

"Bell!"

The next moment, my eyes are open.

"Hestia?"

"Yes, Bell, it's me. What's wrong with you, falling asleep at the table? There are much better places to sleep."

I rub my eyes until her face comes into focus next to me. Raising my head, I take a look around.

I'm at home, in the hidden room under the old church. The time is…seven at night. It's already evening.

Even before I finish scanning the room, the goddess starts asking for details.

"Were you reading a book? Ah-hah! Maybe I just happened to walk in as your drowsiness finally got the best of you—not used to reading, eh?"

"Um…ah, yes…I think so?"

…_I fell asleep?_

The white book I borrowed from Syr is still wide open on the table.

Apparently I was out cold and used it as a pillow.

_I finished it…?_

I hold down my temples. My head feels odd, like it's been spun in all directions.

There are some very strange memories in the back of my mind. They feel unreal, like daydreams.

Was I talking with someone? Did they ask me something? Or are all these memories just leftovers from a dream?

It's no use. I can't figure it out…

"Hee-hee, so cute. I'm usually really tired after work, but thanks to your playfulness, I feel like my usual self!"

"What…?"

"Hee-hee! Now, let's eat some dinner."

With those words, my ears turn red and my head drops. But the goddess is smiling as she goes to her closet.

"Bell, what were you doing with that thick book? You don't seem like the type of person who would buy something like that."

"It's not like I don't read at all… I just…"

My mind is still hazy about the fact that had happened with me, I again took a look at the book. After my mind cleared up the view, sweat started running through my body.

_Don't tell me the book is…_

"OWW!"

"Uwa.. Bell!"

Something felt like piercing through my back. An unbearable pain as if I am going through hell.

_My back, it feels like something is making its way from Hestia's falna to… grandpa's falna?_

"HESTIA! UPDATE MY STATUS! NOW!"

"Wha- wait but are you good?"

"Just hurry!"

I quickly pulled off my shirt and sat on my knees, Hestia pierced her finger and started to update my status. The results gave her a massive shock.

"…Magic."

"Eh?"

"Magic has appeared in your status."

"For real!?"

She printed the stats on the paper and handed it over to me

**Bell Cranel**

**Level 1**

**STR: C 600 - B 705**

**END: F 399 - E 475**

**DEX: D 585 - C 620 **

**AGI: A 798 - S 851**

**MAG: I 0**

**SKILL**

**(LIARIS FREESE)**

**Rapid Growth**

**Continued desire result in continued growth**

**Stronger desire results in stronger growth.**

**(HYPER AWARENESS)**

**Body acts on its own when the brain can't process**

**the solution of tackling a particular situation.**

**MAGIC**

**(FIREBOLT)**

**Swift-strike magic!**

**(FLAMEBURST)**

**Fire element enchantment power.**

"Firebolt and Flameburst?"

"Yeah, those don't have any spells attached to them. Seems like it's just a triggering spell."

"A triggering spell…"

Magic needs a lot of mind power, also it is only obtained when one has good knowledge about them. But there is another way to forcefully make someone learn magic…

My face started to pale, I grabbed the book that Syr gave me. It was… _empty?..._

_Crap oh crap oh crap oh crap… this was a Grimoire!_

"What's wrong Bell?"

"Eeep!"

"Uh… nothing, just some stuff that happened out of nowhere hehe."

Bell tried hard to hide his pale face by giving the loli goddess a forceful smile, and it seemed like it worked. They had their dinner and then slept, but Bell wasn't fee;ing sleepy and he wanted to test his new powers so he snuck off to dungeons without letting Hestia know about it.

* * *

"Alrighty then, time to test it."

I'm now officially on level one of the Dungeon.

"…!"

_Crunch._ I come to a halt.

It's a wide hallway. A short, fat green shadow has popped up in the middle of my line of sight.

A goblin.

_This looks good…_

The enemy's size, the distance between us—everything looks good. It sees me. Yelling at the top of its lungs, it slams its feet against the ground as it charges right at me.

I clench my right fist before thrusting my arm straight out and spread my fingers in front of the oncoming monster.

"Okay then..."

I focus all of my built-up nerves, anxiety, and excitement into my right shoulder.

Short breath.

Raising my eyebrows as high as they would go, I release a roar of my own:

"FIREBOLT!"

A scarlet light floods my vision a moment later.

"?!"

Scarlet lightning flashes through the hallway.

No, not quite. Electric flames.

The bolts carve sharp, random lines through the air before piercing the goblin.

That's all that I can see.

An explosive flash of light blinds me the instant the electric flame reaches the goblin's body.

An orange flower blooms.

The goblin stands there for a moment, covered in burns, its body smoking. Its eyes go white as it flops onto the floor. The last utterance of the monster echoes through the hallway.

"Ah… it worked, yup better get going three more tries of this magic,"

Suddenly from a mature adult I started acting like a child getting a new toy to play with.

sprint into the Dungeon, looking for my next target.

"FIREBOLT!"

"Gyuaaaaaaa!"

I find a monster, then thrust out my arm.

"FIREBOLT!"

"Gyuaaa!"

"YAHOO ANOTHER DOWN!"

Well that's three monsters all right, I was satisfied that it worked perfectly.

"Now then the next one…"

Another goblin was born- no wait it was a whole group of five born at once.

"Now, lets see what this bad boy got…"

My focus is now covering all over the body, I started feeling the heat, my fist tightening, my lips curling and all ready to scream in excitement.

"FLAMEBURST!"

The fire appeared, engulfing me with its bright red flames giving me warmth and unbelievable power boost as if I am using Liaris freese.

"Okay, here I come.."

Just as I tapped the floor, I quickly finished out all the newborn goblin in mere seconds. The way I did amazed me. This power made me feel invincible.

*crunch*  
"Oh another party? Here I come hya ha haaa!"

The rabbit in flames rushed throughout the dungeon killing around 40 goblins in mere minutes.

"Whoops. I'm on the fifth level…"

I've gone too far in. I laugh to myself, looking around the room with a very satisfied smile.

The fact that the pale blue walls have turned light green is all the proof I need.

_I was having too much fun_, I reflected to myself as I made a quick U-turn.

'_Bout time to go home,_ I say to myself, humming a tune when…

"—Whuh?"

Something feels…off.

Heartbeat in my ears, I can hear it.

"Uh…?"

My legs are unsteady. I'm not even sure they're touching the ground.

"Oh… boy I… totally forgot about mind dowww-"

My vision spins. I glimpse the rapidly approaching floor, and pass out right then and there.

**LINE**

"…?"

"What's wrong, Aiz?"

Two adventurers entered the fifth-level floor.

However, they didn't come from above. They arrived from below.

Standing firm without a scratch on them, Aiz and Reveria had long climbed up from the Lower Fortress, level thirty-seven. Even though they'd been fighting off monsters for the past forty-six hours straight on their journey to the surface, neither of them looked all that tired.

Now their journey's end was right in front of them, but Aiz, who was walking a few paces in front of Reveria, stopped in her tracks.

The elf looked at Aiz's long blond hair as she asked what was wrong.

"A person is on the ground."

"Done in by a monster?"

Sure enough, alone in the middle of the room was the body of an adventurer.

He lay face down on the dungeon floor, like he had tripped and not gotten back on his feet. The two girls approached him.

"No visible wounds, healing and detox appear to be unnecessary…Looks like a classic case of Mind Down."

Reveria continued her diagnosis in a matter-of-fact tone, saying that he'd probably used magic without thinking about the consequences.

Using magic was not free. It required energy. Magic uses mental energy, the opposite of physical strength, to activate. Of course, just as the body has its limit, the mind can only take so much.

Reveria was amazed that this boy had been able to keep using magic to the point of losing consciousness.

Meanwhile, Aiz crouched down over the adventurer with her hands on her knees, staring at his white hair.

"Bell?..."

"This boy is the one who stood up against the wolf?…"

Aiz nodded to her.

"Well, I never thought someone with a low rank would talk back to wolf."

"Hm…"

Aiz gave a smile, this surprised Riveria. Well she is known as the mother of the familia so she very well got the hunch about her relation with Bell. A teasing smile appeared on her face.

"So is he your friend Aiz?"

"Something like that…"

Well they don't have enough energy to argue or tease, mainly Aiz was exhausted. Riveria looking on Aiz's condition told her to head back home and then she will come when the boy wakes up.

The sword princess takes Riveria's order and heads back up, meanwhile the elf was on standby to look over the unconscious boy.

"Hm… well even if he forgave us, I still feel like I am at fault, hmm…"

The Nine-Hell's found herself lost in thoughts, well she still feels guilty that he had to get through the minotaur incident and moreover the boy seems.. Lonely.

"Well I guess I can do this much to repay him."

…

…

A deep slumber envelops me.

A fragrance like a serene wind, warmed from the heat of the sun.

All the sensation my skin transmits is soft and pleasant.

I'm drowsy.

I'm so comfortable I don't want to move…

…?

Something is stroking my hair. Thin fingers run down my cheek.

So gentle, so reassuring.

My eyelids open slowly.

…_Mother?_

I call out to the person I've never met, don't even know her face.

The fuzzy outline filling my vision stops moving.

"_Sorry. I'm not your mother…"_

…_Huh?_

The person responds in a voice that goes right through me.

I blink to clear my clouded eyes.

As I do, the fuzzy shapes come into focus.

The first thing I can make out is shiny jade coloured hair. Then a beautiful face.

Finally, eyes that match her hair.

"…"

"Are you awake…?"

My eyes are open. My head is awake.

But my body isn't moving at all, NOT AT ALL!

_What the heck is going on!?_

"N-N-N-Nine-Hell's?!"

"Easy Bell..."

"Eh? How do you know my name."

"But-"

How can I take it easy, My head is resting on Nine-Hell's LAP! Moreover she is a High-elf!

I quickly moved away and slammed my head on the ground to apologise, well Riveria didn't seem to mind it at all. Well she casually asked me what did I do to burn my mind and in return I had a feeling to share with her.

She just sighed and laughed off after hearing how childishly I got excited to use the magic and didn't even care about the mind down.

I have to say, Lady Riveria, she reminded me of my mom. I don't know how but I kept on talking with her for god knows how long as if a son is talking to his mother.

"Okay.. now shall we leave, else the monster will spawn."

"Ah… you are right lady Riveria."

I stood up and gave my hand for help but she looked at me, I totally forgot that elves don't like being touched by others but surprisingly she took my hand and stood up.

"If you didn't recognize, I already let you touch me. For some reason, you are like a child who seems to be a grown up but a grown up at all."

That was embarrassing of course, but… I can't deny that she reminded me of my mom.

"Uhm… Lady Riveria-"

"No need to formally address me Bell, we are fellow adventurers."

"Oh.. then Ms. Riveria would do okay?"

"Your wish," the elf gave me a smile.

"Uh… I have a favor to ask of you..."

"What is it?"

"Uhm.."

_How can I say it? It is too embarrassing to even think about calling her like that!_

"Uhh.. can I address you as mo-mo-mo-"

"Mo what?"

"Mother! or Mother Riveria!"

"Eh?"

_THIS MADE IT EVEN MORE AWKWARD!_

I thought it was over, dropping my shoulders and not even daring to look in her eyes. I thought she would be irritated instead she… laughed.

"Seriously? Why though?"

"Because you remind me of my late mother."

That hurts even to say it, suddenly I felt a hand placed on my head. I looked up seeing Riveria smiling at me.

"So be it, you can either call me mother or mother Riveria."

"B-but,"

"You seem to be different from others Bell. you are a man worthy of respect from us elves."

_I don't want to deny her way of thinking but am I really worthy to get respect?_

We finally reached the surface, I offered to leave her home but she decided to go by herself. I also went back to home after saying bye to 'mother'

_Who could have thought that the Grimoire I read would not only give me magic to fight but also the magic to give me a mother._

Grasping on the warm feeling of Riveria's motherly nature. I smiled and reached back to church.

…

…

_How long has it been since I last smiled mom?_

* * *

**NOTE: Yup, here is hella long chapter for you guys. Well, Bell in this story will have a messed up status and past experience, all the questions will be answered as the story progresses. Welp see you in the next episode.**

**Oh boy didn't expect it to hit almost 10k words**


	12. Episode 11

**Episode 11- The one who was called Black Swordsman**

_The thunder cracks the sky._

_The sound of lightning roars throughout the forest._

_The rain washes the blood off from my body._

_My eyes staring at the ones who are laid down completely covered in blood._

_Drops of blood trails down my swords as I look up towards the dark sky._

_Suddenly I hear chains dropping from a certain height, as I turn my neck, a man with black hooded cloak stared at me with an insane smile on his face._

"_I told you didn't I…."_

_I lose my breath, the jet black cloak I wore starts to burn in black flames. My eyes widened as I saw the faceless man grinning at me. I see nothing but a foreshadow. Suddenly my eyes focussed on the swords held by my hands, the silver and a red one._

"_No matter where ever you are… I will always haunt you in your dreams…"_

_A hand grabs my legs, another hand grabs my hands, dragging me down to the surface. I lost control of my limbs._

_The man laughed at me while I was dragged by those dead people into a dark pit._

'_I can't breathe, nor can I move… please… someone… someone… save me!'_

…

…

"Ahh!"

My eyes snapped open, I found myself in a familiar place, I was at home. I breathed heavily and again glanced around my surroundings.

"It was a dream?…"

Rest assured I sighed but my head hurts, not to mention I was covered in sweat.

"Why did that show up after a long time?"

I massaged my head with my right hand and took a breather, I can't help but look at my left hand, _well they say it alright… karma always returns to you._

It was about to hit noon, that's awful of me, I usually get up early and go to the dungeon. Well this might be also possible because I went to the dungeon to try out my magic at midnight and might have exhausted myself even more.

My thoughts stopped as I looked at the Grimoire placed in the book shelves. _Seems like Hestia didn't open it and just kept it there. _Oh that also rings a bell, I have to ask Syr about this. I quickly took another look at the book and yup the pages were blanked. Not wasting time I took a quick bath and exited the church.

* * *

"Is Syr here?"

"Ohh, look who's here! Morning to ya, meow!"

One of the catgirl waitresses at The Benevolent Mistress responds to me while sweeping the street outside the bar.

If I remember right, her name is Chloe. She looks at me with a giddy smile, her tail swishing back and forth behind her.

"What's this, what's this? No morning greeting and calling on Syr at this early hour, meow? What are you planning to—"

"Please call Syr!"

"Wha—?! Okay, okay, meow!"

She finally understands my sharp words and jumps in surprise. Maybe she can tell I'm not my usual self. She runs into the building so fast she almost slips a few times. The bell on the front door rings as she flies inside.

A few moments later, Chloe sticks her face out from behind the front door and motions for me to come inside.

I step inside the café and bar; they're still getting ready for the day.

"Good morning, Bell. Is something the matter?"

"Syr!"

_Tap tap tap tap._ I can hear her shoes on the floor as she comes running from the kitchen. She must have come in a hurry. She's still carrying a wooden tray in her arms.

Her blue-gray hair is tied back with a triangular bandanna. I started to tell her the gist of everything that had happened.

At first she wears a polite but confused smile, but her eyes grow larger and larger as I talk. The color of her face changes at some point…When I finish speaking, just like she had done at some point before, she breaks off eye contact.

"…Well, that's a very sticky situation you're in, Bell."

"Hold on there, Syr! How come you're acting like you're not involved?!"

I had to say something about her strange tone. What is she planning to use me as, some kind of sacrificial lamb?

She lifts the tray up to her mouth, hiding the lower half of her face. She looks at me with upturned eyes.

"So…I can't?"

"As cute as you look right now, no! Absolutely not!"

I strike down her request despite those imploring eyes. This woman really is a damn witch!

"You're hittin' a nerve, boy! Burstin' into other people's shops this early in the mornin'."

The bar's owner, Mama Mia, must have heard our squabble and followed the noise all the way here. Despite being a dwarf, her frame is absolutely imposing. My body freezes as she walks up to me and plucks the book out of my unusually stiff hands, before glancing over the book herself.

"That's a grimoire, all right…But what's done is done. Boy, pay it no mind, ya hear?"

"Uh…"

"The dimwit who left it here is at fault. Like saying, 'Here, please read this.' Boy, if ya hadn't read it, some other adventurer woulda said the grimoire was his and taken it anyway. That's just how it is."

"But…"

"He was prepared to lose it the moment he let it outta his sight. Think about it, boy: if ya lost a wallet full of cash, you'd come back to get it, wouldn't ya?"

"Well…"

"It's the same thing. Useless to worry about it, boy. Be happy ya got somethin' outta it and let it go."

Mia said her piece and leaves it at that.

I look back over to Syr. She has a small grimace on her face, tilting her head to the side. This still leaves something to be desired, and I get a bad aftertaste from it. Mia glances at me through the side of one of her big eyes. "Real men don't brood over nothin'!" she says.

"Yes, ma'am!" Her voice is like a slap on the wrist. My whole body shoots to attention in response.

As I watched the dwarfess make heavy strides toward the back of the bar I asked syr if I can have lunch here. Since it's almost noon and I am hungry too.

She made me sit near the counter and quickly rushed back to the kitchen. I was silent as still water trying not to dare speak to the dwarfess in front of me, who was currently setting up the plates.

Honestly, her presence shook me off my boots here, it was awkward silence between us.

"Hey kid just eat and get back to yer dungeon business, is tha' clear?" Her way of saying yet again made me stiff.

Mia left the counter for a few minutes, by that time the cat-person Chloe engaged in a conversation with me holding out a tray with glasses of water. I can clearly tell, this damn cat is a pervert, if only grandpa were here he would've probably enjoyed her company.

I can clearly tell she was at her best to flirt and hit on me, well it was like a… what can I say… irritating. The cat carried on until someone stomped on her tail.

"OWWWW NYAAAA~~~"

"Behave properly with a customer of Syr, Chloe."

Ryu stomped hard on the cat's tail making her scream in pain. Chloe rubbed her tail as her tears kept flowing. The glass spilled water on the floor which hardly anyone could notice as the cat-girl yelped in pain.

"Forgive her Mr. Cranel, on behalf of that stupid cat I apologize."

"No need for that… Ryu right?"

The elfess nodded when I confirmed her name. Chloe went back in to get me some fresh water but she forgot to inform anyone about the spilled water. In the meantime I just looked around the pub. _Well this place is filled up with weirdos…_

"Is there something else you want-"

Ryu stepped forward almost completing the sentence but slipped, instinctively I quickly caught her, say it was too sudden. One of her hands flung onto my back and the other held onto my waist, now we seem to hug each other.

A pause, the girls leered at me with a cheeky smile with a red tint on their faces. I awkwardly looked at them then at the aloof elfess who seemed to wear a pink blush herself.

"Uh… you good?"

"Yes."

She rolled her eyes and looked at me, while I totally forgot that elves hate being touched by the person they don't accept.

_Dammit, what kind of situation is this!?_

"Bell you lunch is here~"

"Uh..."

A pregnant pause, Syr was almost about to drop the tray with my order but she didn't. Instead her mouth wide opened and screamed,

"Ryu! What do you think you are doing!?" her tone, sounded slightly annoyed, snapped both Bell and Ryu

"Syr, it's not what it looks like…" the aloof started, trying to ignore the warm feeling from the rabbit.

"Ya she slipped and I caught her, calm down Syr," Bell panicked and explained with sweat-drop.

The elf panicked, the girl still not believing what she is seeing. _Why the hell am I even here?_

"Mr. Cranel you should be doing stuff like this with Syr not with me," she quickly moved away and distanced herself with a red tint on her face.

That comment blew both of us, _That came out of nowhere._

"If Syr was about to fall then I would've helped her too."

The commotion got even bigger, soon the head arrived smacking hard on the tabletop, breaking it into bits though. Everyone stiffened up.

"YOU ALL GET BACK TO WORK RIGHT THIS INSTANCE."

With one single command from the dwarf, everyone scattered back to their work. I am still shaken in my boots, _just how terrifying is this woman?_

She glared at me, standing like a wall crossing her arms as if she was about to throw me or something.

"I gotta say kid, ya are quite a charmer."

"I get that alot from girls."

Syr quickly plated my lunch and went back to her work, Mia on the other hand charged me with the tabletop that she broke on my account saying I made a mess by staying here.

I know it's kind of unfair, but fair at the same time. I quickly had my lunch and left the pub.

The co-workers glanced on the aloof, commenting as if she achieved the impossible feat.

"_Didn't expect you to go for him Ryu."_

"_Ryu you must be thankful to menya~"_

"_Just shut it you two."_

The aloof gave a stare and silenced them at once.

* * *

The sun shines overhead, it's unusually warmer than the rest of the days. I raised my head high giving shade from sun using my right hand,

"Were noon's always this hotter or is today something different?"

Currently I am wandering aimlessly, I decided not to go to the dungeon and take the remaining day off. I know I am slacking off but I am not in a hurry to get stronger.

Unlike other adventurers who work harder, I work in a smarter way. A good leader must be prepared with backup plans to act on so that if the initial plan fails, the secondary plan could be executed.

That thought awakened a memorable moment of my past. I was not a lone member of Zeus familia, I also had one member on whom I trusted the most of all.

Even though it was the two of us, we were an amazing tag team for sure.

As those memories flooded in my thoughts, I decided to enjoy the time remembering those memories.

I am currently in the central park, I got myself an empty bench to sit on and remember those precious memories with me and my partner.

_**...Seven years ago…**_

"Hya"

"Kya!"

*clang* *sweep* *clutch*

A wooden sword and a wooden spear were clashing with full force, the sound of the clash spreading wide area scares the birds on land making them to escape.

Two boys, with determined looks, fought each other. Not holding back they gave everything they had up in sleeves. One of the boy's weapon got bashed, knocking him back to the other side.

"Heh, Bell you got sloppy or what?" a hobbit, around 90cm height, having brown eyes and black hair, extended his spear and mocked the white haired boy.

"Well I am just getting started Ren," the rabbit like boy replied with a confident smirk, "I was holding back a bit but I guess I have to go full force," his hands reach his back to draw the secondary sword.

"Ah… finally you are gonna take me seriously eh?" The hobbit named Ren prepared himself for Bell's oncoming attack. "Now show me your dual wielding!"

"You made a big mistake Ren!"

Bell drew his secondary sword and rushed at Ren, the rabbit was faster but the hobbit excelled in evasion. The primary sword flew in downward direction, the secondary flew in upward direction swinging it swiftly with precession.

Simultaneously Bell aimed to disarm his opponent, he was well aware of the opponent he was facing. Left, right, double left, downward slash, and an enormous number of combos. The hobbit doing his best to keep up with dodging the oncoming attacks with his spear.

Noticing that his opponent lost his grip on his weapon, Bell's sword sweeped in and threw the spear away from its wielder, the primary sword's tip pointing at the hobbit's neck, only with a few centimeters difference.

"So it's my win again," Bell smiled at his opponent.

"Yup, I yield," raising his arms in defeat, Ren returns a smile to his opponent with a sweat-drop, "You sure become crazy when you dual wield Bell!" he exclaimed.

"It's 5-4, I am in lead again," Bell made a fist for his success.

"Well, I will be the next one to draw that again," Ren gave him a fistbumb. The two fighters were called by Zeus for having their lunch.

Ren is a hobbit holding promising desires for his race, the first time I met him was back then when he was being attacked by some bad guys. When the hobbits found out that their goddess, Fiona never actually existed, they gave up on living.

Their lives had become a lie, but Ren didn't let it get him. He wanted to stand up and give hope for his race that they can live even if their goddess never existed, he wants to give them hope that we also can face this fact and move on with it.

His desire started by hearing about the great 'Braver', one of his own kind who stood up and is trying his best to have a better future for the hobbit race. Inspired by his stories, Ren also started to march on Braver's path but he was not sure on how to start.

This young prum at the age of 9 left his hometown and went on a crazy adventure all by himself. On his way of the journey to assist Braver, he ran into some members of a bad group, we call them Evilus.

Evilus are the group that threatened Orario after the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia weakened in power and were subsequently exiled from the city. It was weakened by the efforts of the Guild along with various Familia, such as the Loki Familia, but it didn't end only at that.

It was then when Grandpa, after hearing from Hermes found out that there are some Evilus hideouts placed outside of Orario so that the transportation of any malicious magic items or any illegal smuggling could be done easily.

As the only member of Zeus familia, it was up to me to make them surrender and eliminate their hideouts. For me alone, it was hard so we did have to collaborate with other weak familia's to face them.

Some of them intended to work only for their own reasons but some of them denied taking risks. It was tough times as our familia was run by a single person and a single god that is me and Zeus.

At times, Astrea Familia was generous to help us out, and since we took help from adventurers of Orario I had to cover my face to secure my identity so that when I go back there then no one would know who I am.

I was assigned to eliminate the camping site set up by Evilus members nearby a forest area which is a few kilometers away from a cave. The cave is said to have Laumradite ores which are strong metals for coating durandal weapons. They are extremely rare and dangerous as the cave is filled with fearsome monsters so nobody dares to mine them.

My task was to capture all the Evilus and hand them over to the adventurers who were sent to us by the god of Origin's, Lord Ouranos.

All of this was happening backstage so Orario had no knowledge about the outside status of the Evilus. Thankfully Ouranos just wanted to capture them else he was ready to make them burn alive.

I finally reached their camping site, hiding myself on the branch of a teak tree. It was night time and the moon was covered by the clouds, the only source of light was the campfire set up by them.

There I saw him, a hobbit completely beaten up, cornered by five members. Analysing them two were dark elves, one was a human, and the remaining two were wheretigers. It was all pitch black from my view to even see them clearly.

I kept calm and heard their conversation.

"Look kiddo, give us the item back!" the weretiger screamed at the young boy.

"He is not gonna give it up like that," the human joined in the conversation.

"This doesn't belong here, this belongs to that old man," the prum held on to a box like item, he replied with pain and fear, yet he replied bravely.

The men tried again but the prum refused to obey their orders, so they moved in to kill him with a knife,

"Stop right there!"

"What?"

Sound echoed throughout the area surprising everyone standing there, a shadow appeared dragging them one by one and knocking them out. The boy completely trembles in fear, he is confused on what is going on?

The shadow appeared in front of him, standing bravely. The boy shook but was little calmer,

"Who are you?" were the only words that could escape his lips.

"Rest assured, I am here to help you."

The campfire's light falls on his jetblack hoodless coat, two swords strapped on his back and making his ruby eyes glow due to the reflection of the fire, with a soft and big smile on his face, Bell neared the shaking boy.

"You really are Brave kid!" Bell softly patted the prum's head. The hobbit looks at him with glistening eyes filled with tears,

"What's your name kid?"

"I… my name is…"

_**...Present Time…**_

"Ren…"

Bell crossed his arms under his chin and smiled to himself.

"The bravest young hobbit I've ever seen. Oh boy, now I miss him…"

Bell raises his head high up and looks at the clear blue sky which now covers the blazing hot sun.

"It was like we were brothers. It felt as if we were meant to meet at some point."

_And I am sure, you will be leading the familia with ease in my absence Ren._

Bell closes his eyes and imagines Ren, holding his spear and pointing to the new Zeus familia containing humans, chientrope, elves, werewolves, and many more potential members, heading towards the victory.

* * *

The market street was packed tight even at noon, a blonde god observed the items presented before him along with a lady by his side having aqua blue hair and cyan colored eyes with glasses on who sighed.

"Lord Hermes, why did you suddenly decide to take a stroll?" the woman said it with an exhausted tone as if she is already tired to start off with.

"Oh, come now Asfi, I too need some slack off my work as the familia god," Hermes returned the lady a cheeky smile.

"Why do I feel like you are going to cause another trouble for me."

The lady named Asfi is the captain of the Hermes familia. She is loyal to her god and had to always fix the mess created by her stupid and sly god. As they were strolling through the market street and made their way to the central street, their eyes landed on a certain someone who could be noticed easily.

Hermes spotted his good old friend, looking at the sky, smiling peacefully. The god didn't want to interrupt his private time but he somehow wanted to start a conversation about his level and growth.

After Bell questioned about his Level stats, Hermes tried his best to keep low and not tell him the reason for him being Level 1. This bugged him a lot so he decided to give him a challenge to overcome and then get his reward, the reward of learning about his Level 1 problem.

"Asfi, mind waiting here for me," the god cheerfully requested his child.

The aqua eyes of the lady now lands on the boy "Old friend of yours again?" she confirmed.

"Yes, I have something personal… so just wait here my dear Asfi."

"Just don't make another mess," the lady sighed but blushed out of embarrassment when Hermes replied to her with ''Love you'', that is one cheeky flatterer right there.

As the white-haired rabbit was lost in his precious memories he didn't notice the voice of a familiar face until it reached him.

"Bell, hey there!" Hermes exclaimed

"Hermes?"

Bell frowned, was he tailing him? And he wasn't aware when the god showed up.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"Ya sure, the seat is yours."

The god rested himself on the seat, Bell sure was surprised to run-in with his old friend, the god was like he always had been. The same old cunning smile on his face.

"So what's up with you? It's odd to see you outside the dungeon around this time," Hermes asked, fixing his hat properly.

"Well, I decided to take a break."

"Oh~ Bell is slacking off?"

"Can say that,"

The conversation is going plain, Bell's expression was a little like he is annoyed in some way, probably because Hemes still had that irritating cunning smile. Hermes asked about his performance and his life going as the only adventurer of Hestia familia.

It was no different feeling for him as he already had been an only member of Zeus familia. As the conversation proceeded, Hermes decided to drag 'it' in.

"So Bell, there is something I wanted to tell you…"

"Hm? What is it?"

Bell could sense the tension in his tone, it might be a serious matter that he is going to discuss with him, will it be Evilus or perhaps...

"Well, I wanted to hide this fact from you but it seems like I can't hold it with me any longer," Hermes stretched his arms and shrugged them.

"What fact?" Bell now becomes curious.

"It's about your Level stats," Hermes crossed his hands placed under his chin, he leaned forward.

Bell was left dumbstruck, he had the hunch that Hermes knew something about his Level 1 problem but why had he kept it with himself.

"If you knew you should've told me!" he exclaimed.

"I wanted to, but it still is not the right time for that."

"So now tell me right now!"

The boy became more desperate to find out the solution to his problem but as always, Hermes wasn't gonna hand over any information that easily.

"Well, if you want to know you have to succeed in my challenge," Hermes gave a sketchy grin.

"What kind of challenge, throw in!"

"Well, there are two options for you. Succeed in either one of them then I will tell you. The first one is a bit long, that is I need you to rank up to Level 2 first. If not then here is the easiest route, the second option that is..."

"What's the second choice then!"

The god was enjoying the desperate expression of the boy, he had fun in it for his own, _but how would he react with this one._

"Nothing much," his expression of cheeky grind formed into a cunning smile, "Accept that power of yours."

As the god finished, he could clearly witness the looks of the boy, an immediate change from the desperate need for knowledge into a fearsome rage being loaded only to be executed. His nerves popped out from his forehead and fists, his eyes gleamed as if the fire had ignited itself up, strong foreshadow developing also making his surroundings tense.

The god kept his composure and enjoyed the scenario.

"Where are you getting at… WITH THIS!"

Bell sounded calm because he was rather frustrated and mad at Hermes, to think he would remind him of 'that' power. He was even madder when he noticed the god enjoy seeing him in vengeance for him.

"I told you… It wAs ALL iN PaST!"

"Haha Bell, so what is your call?" leisurely crossing his hands on the back of his head the god grinned at the boy.

"I would rather go the longer route."

After saying that, the rabbit stomped his way out and left. Hermes finally let out a sigh of relief, not too soon Asfi came and asked.

Even if she was distancing herself with the god and the boy she easily felt the presence of uneasiness around her. The god just kept his cunning smile and told her that he just screwed with the rabbit in a friendly way.

She was still concerned about the rabbit looking boy, to distract her from him Hermes asked Asfi,

"Asfi, do you know about the adventurer, who was called… The 'Black Swordsman' ?"

Quiet surprising question from Hermes? This is too odd for him to ask about the person who is outside Orario…

Asfi rubbed her chin, trying to recollect what she knows about the 'Black Swordsman'.

"It is said that he is the only adventurer who excels in dual-wielding. Even if Level is low, his dual-wielding is precise and can take over any opponent easily, even if the opponent is higher level or the same level as him. (_Her eyes meets Hermes's eyes)_ I also heard that he might be able to even keep up with the strongest adventurer in Orario, the King that is. Not in terms of Level, but in terms of skills. Why did you ask this for Lord Hermes?"

Her questioned face made the god chuckle a little, "I just wanted to see if my dear Asfi here is well aware of the world outside of Orario," He patted her head.

"Why you…"

She grumbled wearing a pink face due to embarrassment.

_**...Later that night...**_

_**-Traveler's Inn-**_

"Ah… his face had a priceless look," Hermes laughed out loud making his stomach hurt, he still remembered Bell's mad face and for some reason instead of fear, he is taking it as a joke.

He peeped out of the window, viewing the beautiful nightlife of Orario.

"Well, I wonder what his reaction would be after seeing his 'real' status," the god kept grinning at the sheet of paper placed right in front of his desk.

* * *

**Bell Cranel**

**Level 3 - force ascension - 5**

**STR: D 510 - I 0**

**END: G 295 - I 0**

**DEX: D 501 - I 0 **

**AGI: B 650 - I 0**

**MAG: C 650 - I 0**

**SKILL**

**(LIARIS FREESE)**

**Rapid Growth**

**Continued desire result in continued growth**

**Stronger desire results in stronger growth.**

**MAGIC**

**(FLAMEBURST)**

**Fire element enchantment power.**

**DEVELOPMENTAL ABILITIES**

**Sword Master: SS**

**Divine Blades: F**

**(**_**Dual wield proficiency**_**)**

**Escape: B**

**Abnormal Resistance: S**

**Ailment Resistance: B**

**Spirit Healing: G**


	13. Episode 12

**EPISODE 12 - EINA'S INVESTIGATION BELL'S DECISION**

"Eina. Hey, Eina."

"Hm?"

Eina was hard at work at the reception desk of Guild headquarters when one of her coworkers working at the same desk got her attention.

She lifted an eyebrow to say, "What is it?" Her coworker mouthed, "Look at that!" while pointing across the room.

Eina's eyes followed the direction her coworker indicated to see a Guild employee having a heated argument with an adventurer in front of the Exchange.

"See, it's them again. That guy's in _Soma Familia._"

"…"

Eina frowned at the situation unfolding across the way.

Their angry words reached her ears as Eina tilted her head forward to listen in.

"A measly twelve thousand vals?! Come on! Are you blind?!"

"You fool! How long do you think I've been doing this job, huh? My eyes are just fine!"

They were arguing about the terms of an exchange, that much was certain.

This kind of thing wasn't all that uncommon. Adventurers bet their very lives every day prowling the Dungeon. After working all day, they came to the Exchange with hopes great or small, but many tended to get upset and raise their voices if the amount offered for their Dungeon loot wasn't as high as they were expecting, complaining that it wasn't commensurate with the effort.

The Guild was used to this kind of thing, and all of the appraisers lined up close to that counter had a lot of guts. This particular appraiser was yelling just as loudly as the adventurer.

This kind of argument was just another day at work.

However, whenever _Soma Familia_'s adventurers made a scene, a normal argument tended to become anything but normal.

There was no point in adding up all the times members of _Soma Familia_ had criticized an appraiser's offer. It was a daily occurrence. The Guild employees were long since fed up with this daily farce.

All of _Soma Familia'_s members had the same issue with the Exchange's terms: "Give us more money!"

They had an obsession with money that went beyond rationality.

Their demands for large sums of money were fierce enough to make all the bystanders' blood run cold.

"Ugh—just watching this makes me want to tear my eyes out! It's sickening! Sooo glad I'm not in charge of _Soma Familia_!"

"…"

Eina scowled at her human coworker's choice of words.

Eina was not herself an adviser of any _Soma Familia_ members, but due to some recent events, she couldn't just write them off as someone else's problem.

"Damn it! This is all…This is all I get…?!"

Eina massaged her temple, feeling a headache coming on as she watched the adventurer clasp both hands around his head from a distance.

_He might have been a little hasty…_

Ignoring that, she recalled that Bell didn't show up a day before. He didn't tell her that he would be taking a break from the dungeon. Still she can't help thinking about the situation he is in.

"Hm… I hope he is doing good."

"Hm? What's this? You're already finishing up, Eina?"

"Yes. About to."

Eina nodded at her coworker.

They were in the lobby of Guild Headquarters. The floors and walls of the first floor were constructed from white marble, giving the space a somber feel. Evening sunlight shining in through the windows lit up the lobby like the neighboring houses.

Eina looked around the Guild lobby as she cleaned off her desk and stood up.

"Wow! Right at closing time?! The Eina I know never leaves right away…Could it be…surely not…a date?!"

"Why is that the only…"

Eina waved off the idea, politely refuting the idea, and forced a smile before taking her leave.

Saying a quick good-bye to her other coworkers, she left the building through the employee exit.

"Well, then…"

_Tat, tat, tat._ The funny excuse for shoes the Guild provided her echoed off the stone street as Eina set off in the opposite direction from her home.

This area of West Main was completely devoid of street vendors and stalls. The evening sun bathed long rows of large stores on both sides of the street in red light. Being very close to the Guild, almost all of the stores targeted adventurers as their main customers.

People who lived and worked in this neighborhood referred to this Main Street as "Adventurers Way" for that reason. The street was wide enough that adventurers wearing heavy armor could easily pass by one another without incident.

_After all that searching through the Guild's resources, I couldn't find anything other than the usual information on_ Soma Familia…

Eina had been trying to find information about the inner workings of _Soma Familia_ for the past few days.

If she was asked why, she simply answered, "There's something I need to know." If said person asked for more details, Eina would add that she was concerned about the possibility of Bell being caught up in a difficult situation.

_Even talking to people in charge of_ Soma Familia_'s adventurers, they all say the same things…Let's see what I can find out myself._

Despite going through all of the Guild's records and talking to as many people as she could, the results were less than promising.

She'd gotten as far as understanding, superficially, that all of the members of that _Familia_ were obsessed with money, and it seemed as though there was something forcing them into a frenzy. Eina did her best to focus on the important points as she organized her thoughts.

_A god uses their_ Familia _to further their own ends…No, nothing makes sense._

Where there was smoke, there was fire. The "smoke" seemed to be coming from two places: the members' unending desire for money and the sheer number of members in that group.

Soma didn't have the type of reputation that could bring in the large numbers of members and followers that belonged to _Soma Familia_.

_What if the god Soma isn't the cause? What if there is something else…something making the members of_ Soma Familia _act like that?_

Eina stopped walking for a moment as she reached that point in her train of thought.

A large bar was in front on her.

"Hmmm…It might be useful to go in here, but…"

It had always been true that a bar was the best place to gather information.

However, it was the one place that Eina preferred to avoid.

For her—no, for all elves—bars where large numbers of adventurers gathered were usually unlucky places.

Basically, men of all races swarmed to her like bees to a flower.

"Ah-ha-ha…No, don't think so."

Thinking about what might be waiting for her beyond those doors, Eina laughed quietly to herself before walking past the bar entirely. Her pace quickened when the wild voices of the adventurers inside echoed through the entrance.

_Not trying to flatter myself…_

Eina was always very conscious of her appearance.

Despite being half human, the blood of elves—considered to have the most beautiful men and women among all the races—also ran through her veins. She had to accept the fact that, to a degree, men of other races would be attracted to her.

_It's not that I'm not open to the idea of dating…_

The surprised look on her coworker's face after she asked about a man or a date just before leaving work jumped into Eina's mind.

Eina wasn't trying to come across as some innocent virgin. She was already nineteen; it was perfectly acceptable for someone that age to have a partner. She did feel a bit empty from time to time.

That void was normally filled by work, however.

_But then again, I've never really felt like "That one!" about anybody…_

Most of the men who had approached Eina in the past were robust, capable adventurer types.

All of them were dependable men who could sweep her off her feet as well as protect and support her.

But because they were like that, there was one thing about them that made her a little nervous:

_Maybe it would be better if they weren't so reliable…_

She was a workaholic, so perhaps someone who was a little more unpredictable would be a better fit…Never before had she been so honest with herself.

She'd be struggling with problems alone, trying to overcome them by herself, but then in the end someone would just come into her life. She wanted that kind of person. She laughed to herself as she envisioned getting a little too involved with him, working together to make something great, a hold-and-be-held relationship. Someone who would depend on her and let her feel like a protector would be just right for Eina.

_Ahhh, I wonder if there's a man like Bell anywhere—_

Yes, that was it.

The answer was clear. It was hard to miss, putting it into words.

_So a man like Bell would be perfect—ahhh_…Eina had found the most satisfying answer.

…Wait.

Hey, hey! Her hand flew into the open air beside her.

A man like Bell…Well, then—that was it, wasn't it?

"Hee-hee-hee…" No one was there to see Eina's ears turn pink or to hear her giggling.

"Ah! There it is, there it is!"

She was alone but still said her thoughts out loud and much louder than necessary.

Her face still flush with heat, she entered a two-story item shop made from stone. The billboard above the entrance to the shop read RETAIL.

The reason she wanted to come here was to investigate Soma Familia's wine.

Part of it was that she had exhausted most of her options, but the fact that they sold so little wine didn't seem right to her. While she didn't think she'd crack the case with this, Eina thought there was some value in looking into it.

I haven't been here in ages. I wonder if they have a larger selection.

Transparent cases that were many times stronger than glass lined the inside of the shop like army camps. Eina craned her neck to look at the highest shelves.

Many products were stored on each shelf. Round-bottomed flasks filled with blue liquid were potions. Green fluids in cylindrical tubes were antidotes, and elixir was sold in fancy bottles with intricate designs. All of them were made by Familias that specialized in sales.

Many item shops sold items produced by only one Familia. This particular shop had secured a spot on Adventurers Way by having a good reputation and carrying many different types of items.

Eina walked right past the adventurer items and over to a corner of the store marked GROCERY.

Yes! Here it is!

Eina happily clapped her hands together when she spotted Soma Familia's label on a shelf lined with wine.

The container on the shelf wasn't very appealing, being nothing more than a typical glass bottle. The liquid inside was clear. For something so highly sought after, it didn't look very good at all.

However, out of all the varieties of alcohol on the shelf, there was only one of Soma Familia's wines left. Its popularity must be the real deal.

"…Soma_"?_

Eina blinked her emerald eyes a few times as she looked at the most boring and thoughtless label in the shop.

Same name as its creator…Had the god Soma named it after himself?

Eina tilted her neck as she thought about it. She was thinking about calling over a sales clerk to open the closed case for her when her eyes saw the price tag.

Sixty thousand vals.

_Thunk!_ Eina's forehead hit the shelf.

_Wha…huh—? This is just wine?!_

Unbelievable! It cost more than all of Bell's equipment combined! No wait, even if we add his earnings it's even more!

Eina rubbed the red spot on her head and looked at the bottle one more time.

The price was equal to or above the value of specialized weapons and armor for adventurers. While it wasn't impossible for an average person to purchase a bottle of this wine, at that price it was highly unlikely.

The value of the contents and the shoddiness of the bottle didn't match in the slightest.

_How much money do I have on me? No way I brought enough…_

The average pay of a Guild employee was more than what a run-of-the-mill adventurer made but nowhere near enough to justify walking around with 60,000 vals in their pockets. Buying even one bottle would put immense strain on Eina's living expenses. Not to mention the fact that she'd bought a piece of armor as a present for Bell just a few days earlier.

Eina stood in front of the wine shelf, a fierce debate raging in her mind.

"…Aren't you Eina Tulle?"

"Huh?"

A clear voice caressed her eardrums. Eina turned around to find the person who said her name.

Behind her stood a stunningly beautiful and surprisingly tall female elf.

Her glimmering jade-colored hair was tied into a single ponytail that hung halfway down her back. Her ears stuck up like leaves on a tree, guiding her gorgeous long hair backward. Even among the beautiful and refined elves, the woman looked on par with royalty. Her looks could even be described as otherworldly. Fitting right in with her elegance, the woman's emerald eyes were the same emerald green color as Eina's, if not a little deeper shade.

Eina's body snapped to attention.

"Lady Reveria?!"

"So it is you…It's been a long time. You have become very beautiful in my absence. I almost didn't recognize you."

While it wasn't quite a smile, the lips of Reveria Ljos Alf softened and curved upward. Eina was very quick to show respect.

"I am honored, my lady. To receive such high praise, I will hold your words dear…"

"Stop talking like that. This isn't the elven homeland. You were not born in the homeland in the first place. You have no reason to hold me in such high regard."

"Even so, I mustn't forget to be humble and show the utmost respect to royalty such as yourself. Mother always told me—"

"So even that Aina would force this upon her daughter…It is regrettable. She escaped the homeland alongside me, to end up like this."

Eina looked on as Reveria let out a wistful sigh before fixing her piercing gaze on her.

"It is prudent to carry the smallest amount of respect, but any more than that is needless. I find it tiresome to be placed in that particular cage. If you say that you want to respect and honor me, then you must comprehend what my heart desires."

"M-my lady…"

Reveria's overpowering words left Eina speechless.

The fact remained that Eina was born in a free city with its doors wide open to any and all races. Her knowledge of elves in the homeland was very limited but…she knew that the elf in front of her was royalty, a high elf.

The elven half of her blood was forcing her to bow her head.

"I'm not asking you to break the system. Only don't go overboard."

"U-understood."

"Good."

Reveria gave a satisfied nod, but Eina wasn't sure how to feel. Even her eyebrows weren't on straight.

Eina felt like she had lost an argument and tried her best to keep that feeling hidden. So rather than dwell on it, she decided to be happy about their reunion. When they were both young, Eina had met Reveria many times at her childhood home. However, they hadn't seen each other even once since then.

Eina knew about Reveria's activities as soon as she entered the Guild. Due to their schedules and job responsibilities, there hadn't been a good opportunity to meet again. Not that there wasn't the possibility, but neither of them had made an effort.

"I'm glad to see that you are well. To think you would work for the Guild, of all places…"

"Please forgive me, I meant to contact you…"

"Pay it no mind. I've spent my days in the Dungeon ever since arriving in this city. There has been no time for much else. Our meeting would have been delayed over and over, no doubt."

All of Reveria's movements, even her short head bow, were extremely polished and refined. Eina had grown up watching her mother carry herself with dignity and grace, but the high elves were on another level entirely. The two girls came from completely different walks of life.

"Why are you here today, Lady Reveria?"

"What? I used up the last of my items the other day in the Dungeon. Simple as that."

"Would it be silly to think…that Lady Reveria can't use healing magic?"

"Why, yes. However, magic is not perfect. If an item is on hand, nothing is better. What about you, Eina?"

"Oh…"

Reveria's question reminded Eina of her mission. Her knees wobbled for a moment before she decided to answer as best she could without bringing up her investigation of _Soma Familia_.

This was to avoid the possibility of rumors going around that someone working for the Guild was investigating a specific group.

"Ahh, this wine. There are many in my _Familia_ who adore it."

"Um…can I ask you a question, Lady Reveria? Do any of them show signs of dependence or act strangely?"

"Everyone who drinks alcohol looks strange to my eyes…but no one has done anything I would consider out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?"

"Well…a friend of mine recommended it to me. But from the things I've heard about _Soma Familia_…"

There was some truth in Eina's words. Even though she didn't feel right, purposely misleading Reveria with her answer, the chance of getting valuable information from her was too good to pass up.

"I see. I too have heard a few things about members of that _Familia_ being odd, almost cold."

"Lady Reveria, do you know anything about them?"

She got her hopes up, and her voice cracked with excitement.

Her cover was blown.

Reveria closed one eye and stared at the excited Eina for a moment.

_Oh no…_Eina froze. She realized her mistake a moment too late.

Reveria was very sharp. She could sense the emotions of whomever she was talking with and figure out their true intentions. Reveria was the only person Eina couldn't keep a secret from when they were children.

Reveria had more than likely figured out that Eina was investigating _Soma Familia_.

A wave of cold sweat passed over her body as Eina waited for the high elf's response.

"…Whatever. I'm sorry to say that I don't have any information concerning that _Familia._ No more than you know, probably less."

"Oh, is that so?"

Reveria had seen right through her, but Eina was relieved that the high elf hadn't asked for a reason why... or that's what she thought.

"Eina, you are investigating about the _Soma Familia _right?"

And here it is, Riveria's question pierced through Eina's shield. Yup she asked her directly. Eina, on her defeat, dropped her shoulder and accepted it.

"May I know the sudden cause?"

"Uhm.. well... It's about the adventurer of whom I am incharge of."

"An adventurer?"

"Yes, he... kind of made a contract with one of the supporters of _Soma Familia_, and seeing how the familia background seems to be... I... am kind of worried about him."

Reveria gazed at Eina's worried face for a few moments before opening her mouth to speak.

"Okay then, While I don't know about them…I do know someone who knows something concerning that group."

"…Yes?"

"Would you accompany me to my _Familia_'s home?"

* * *

The head residence.

That was this building put into words.

_I never heard anything about them…but this is just how the home of a prominent dungeon-prowling_ Familia _should be…_

The building was located on the northern edge of Orario. It stood on the side of a backstreet, one block away from North Main. Long and thin, it was as if the builders had to squeeze it onto the spot. Several pointed towers protruded from the roof like a line of spears standing on end, supplementing one another.

Of course these bronze towers were nothing compared to Babel but were still tall enough to make someone crane their neck to look up at them. The very tips of the towers were dyed black by the evening light.

It was a dwelling carved from flames.

"Lady Reveria, welcome back."

"Excuse me, this person with you…is she with the Guild?"

"She is the daughter of a friend. I request that you overlook her position."

After being questioned by male and female guards at the doorway, Reveria and Eina walked into the building.

The two of them looked as though they could be sisters, walking side by side. In reality, Reveria was many times older than Eina.

Elves live the longest of all the races of demi-humans.

"I suppose it's a little late for this, but…but are you sure this is all right?"

"What is?"

"Inviting me, a member of the Guild, into a home like this…If private information about _Loki Familia_ became public because of me…"

"Do not speak of impossibilities, Eina. If I felt you had the potential for something like that, I would not have brought you here. Or perhaps you are trying to insult me?"

"N-no, not at all…"

More and more childhood memories came flooding back into her head as Eina followed Reveria through the main hall and into a reception room.

The room itself was completely open to the hallway and decorated in a calming, light orange color scheme. There were many expensive-looking sofas and round tables draped in cloth. While every furnishing there was of the highest quality, it seemed less a reception room than a space for repose and conversation.

Eina got a good feel for the overall atmosphere and mood of _Loki Familia_ just by looking around this room.

_Hey, not bad. I wouldn't mind living here myself—Hmm?_

She noticed something as her gaze reached the far corner of the room.

It was in an armchair facing away from her. There seemed to be a big fluff of golden string attached to the side of it. No, not string—blond hair. It was the back of someone's head, their hair flowing down the side of the chair and sticking out.

The person sitting there slowly turned her thin neck to face the elves.

Eina suddenly swallowed a lump of air.

"Welcome home, Reveria."

"Yes, Aiz. I have returned."

The speaker was a beautiful girl, even younger than Eina.

What stood out more than her soft, delicate features was her refined solemnity. Still, her eyes glimmered like pools of gold on her face. The word "innocent" seemed to fit her very well.

A noble beauty and a childlike purity seemed to coexist within her.

As Eina had said once before, just seeing the girl's beauty made her heart skip a beat.

Aiz Wallenstein.

The blond-haired, golden-eyed adventurer whom many adventurers could not get her out of their mind. In a way she also expected Bell to be like that but turns out he is not a bit interested in that kind of stuff for his age.

"Who is…that person?" Aiz asked.

"I…um, I'm…" Eina stuttered.

"She is like a member of my family. You two, introduce yourselves."

They followed suit and exchanged greetings. Aiz didn't break eye contact with Eina as she spoke, her words clear and concise.

Without any armor on, Aiz looked like a very sheltered girl. She was very feminine, with her slender body wrapped in a pure white one-piece dress. It accentuated her generous bosom, as well.

Aiz's bare feet were pearl-white, like alabaster, smooth and vibrant.

…Breathtaking.

Eina didn't feel right, looking at Aiz this way. Moving slowly and carefully, Eina walked around the armchair and took a seat on the sofa facing her. Reveria joined them, with a table situated between the three girls.

"Aiz, have you purchased replacements for the items used during the last trip? We set out again in ten days."

"Yes…I'll go tomorrow."

Aiz's voice was muffled by her knees; she was holding them to her chest while sitting in the chair. Her words sounded dull, like a bell fallen on its side.

Eina could tell something wasn't right. She glanced over at Reveria, only to see a look on her face that the high elf often gave Eina years ago—a warm, motherly expression. Eina finally worked up the courage to say what was on her mind.

"Um, Lady Reveria?"

"What is it?"

"Don't you think that Aiz looks…a little upset?"

Eina couldn't feel any energy coming from the girl, her face half hidden behind knees covered in white cloth. Even Aiz's hair seemed to be missing its usual luster. It hung limp over her shoulders.

Eina hadn't known the girl for long, but she could tell Aiz was very sad.

Reveria laughed quietly at Eina's question, letting a rare smile onto her lips.

"Are you still thinking that he forgave you or not? That is not like you at all Aiz."

"Who?"

"It's a boy who got dragged into the Minotaur incident once while we were returning back to the surface."

"Wait, Minotaur incident!"

"We accidentally let them to the upper floors, eliminating them quickly so that no low level adventurers could get hurt. Thankfully nobody got hurt except an adventurer who was almost cornered and was saved by her."

Eina's body shooks up in surprise. _Wait, does that mean that sword princess is..._

She looks at the blonde haired girl. Reveria continued with her statement.

"He told you that he doesn't mind that now. And moreover he thanked you also, and here you are worried about him?"

Reveria's shoulders shook as she laughed again, teasing Aiz about the situation. Eina, on the other hand, didn't know what to say in the situation. "That's so like him…" she said, her hand on her forehead forcing a smile on her face whispering to herself.

"…Lady Reveria. About the reason I came here today…"

"Oh yes, my apologies. Let's call her here."

A still-smiling Reveria reached into the bag she had brought back with her.

She pulled the bottle of Soma out of it.

"Um…Lady Reveria? Weren't you going to summon someone for me…?"

"It would be a waste to go looking for her. She has always been very elusive; I don't know how much time finding her would require. It would be more effective for her to come to us."

Before Eina could ask another question, Reveria removed the lid of the wine she'd purchased herself, though the fact that she'd put all of her purchases on _Loki Familia_'s tab seemed somehow more striking.

Soon, the surprisingly sweet smell of the wine filled the reception room.

"Wow…a frosty smell."

"I may be quite accustomed to it, but this smell still has that effect."

Eina enjoyed the aroma for a moment before realizing that Reveria was holding out a glass in front of her and took it out of reflex. Before she knew it, a high elf was pouring her a drink. Eina was on the verge of passing out from shame and embarrassment.

Feeling bad that Reveria had gone through the trouble, she cautiously raised the glass to her lips.

_Oh my…!_

Her eyes shot open the moment the glass touched her lips.

It was heavenly. Too heavenly.

It was so sweet that her tongue almost went numb. But somehow it had a smooth, almost melting texture.

Its sweet bouquet instantly filled her nose. The aftertaste was so invigorating that her very consciousness seemed to be tossed around inside her head until the very last drop. That feeling made its way into her body, right down to the tips of her toes.

_No wonder so many people like this wine…_In just one gulp, Eina learned firsthand where the wine's reputation came from.

"I know that smell…"

It was only a heartbeat after Eina put Soma to her lips.

_Thump, thump, thump, thump._ The sound of excited footsteps drew ever closer, as if being pulled in by the smell of the alcohol.

"Hey, you—is that Soma?!"

With that, the vermillion-haired goddess of this _Familia_, Loki, appeared from around the corner a second later.

"She has arrived."

"So that's what you meant by her coming here…"

"I knew it! I knew it! That's Soma, all right! Did ya get me a present, Reveria? You devoted child, you!"

Eina took a look at the glass in her hand, the source of the mellow smell around her. Next she looked at Loki, in awe of how well Reveria's plan to summon her had worked.

Even in the dimly lit reception room, Eina could clearly see Loki's vermillion hair and eyes.

"While it was I who purchased the wine, the idea was not mine."

"Well then, musta been Aiz! And here ya were actin' all sad since you came back from the Dungeon! It was ta keep this a surprise! Geee! Aizuuu, yer soo cute!"

"Not me."

Loki was ready to jump onto Aiz and give her a big hug, but an intimidating glare from the depressed girl stopped her in her tracks. Aiz's eyes were saying "Touch me and I'll slice you."

"Huh…?" Loki was confused as she took a few steps backward, sweating.

"A-Aizuu…Isn't that a little too prickly, even fer you? What ya think?"

"If you want my permission, use words I can understand. More importantly, the person who brought the wine is standing right there."

_Ah, so that's how this is going to work._

Eina realized this was part of Reveria's plan as well.

The person who had information about the inner workings of _Soma Familia_ was in fact the goddess of her own _Familia_, Loki. By appeasing her with a gift, Loki might be willing to answer a few questions.

Directly asking a god for their opinion made Eina rather uncomfortable, but she forced herself to relax.

"Huh? Who's this girl here?"

"This is our first meeting, Lady Loki. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Eina Tulle. I know that my being here is very unexpected…"

"No need ta be so formal. Yer makin' my neck itchy. Talk normal, got it?"

Loki waved off Eina's formality like it was too much trouble to bother with as she turned to face her. Loki stiffened when she noticed Eina's uniform and planted her gaze firmly on the half-elf. Her thread of a right eye opened; a catlike smile popped up on her lips.

"What's this here, a Guild member payin' my _Familia_ a house call?…Old man Ouranos, claimin' neutrality and all that, yet havin' a dagger armed and ready. That how this is?"

"N-no, it's not! I…I…"

"This girl is my guest. I won't allow such slander."

"Ah, ehh. So yer Reveria's guest, my mistake, then. Sorry 'bout that, Einy. Beg yer pardon?"

"I-I'm fine. Please pay it no mind…"

Feeling Reveria's quiet gaze, Loki tried to pass the moment by shrugging and laughing it off.

She then plunked herself down on the sofa.

"That's enough with keepin' up appearances, let's get ta it. Ya brought me one of my all-time faves, which means ya wanna ask me somethin'. Am I right?"

"…Well then, I'll get right to the point. If you know any details about what goes on behind the scenes at _Soma Familia_, would you be willing to tell me?"

"Bringin' Soma fer that? Ha-ha. I see how it is."

Holding the bottle in one hand, Loki rudely grabbed a glass from the table and poured her own drink. One big gulp and a long, satisfied sigh later, Loki turned her reddening face in Eina's direction.

"It's not like I got a good connection with that idiot Soma. Don't know if I have the info ya want, Eina…But what the heck, I'll spill the beans on anythin' ya want. So, what'll it be?"

"…Do you know the reason behind the strange tendencies of the members of _Soma Familia_?"

"Hmm, right ta the good stuff, eh?…But how to explain it."

Loki swirled the wine around in her hand a few times, watching the waves wrap around the inside of the glass.

After a few moments, Loki downed the remainder of the wine in one loud swig.

"Got it! I'll tell ya a story 'bout me and Soma. Ah, just bein' clear, the wine Soma. Not that idiot god, just t'be clear."

"Ah, um, okay?"

"Well then…Ya know me, I love me some wine. Goin' ta different shops, tryin' and comparin' all brands every day. Gettin' drunk off my ass, pukin', passin' out…Livin' the dream in a loop until one day…I ran into this li'l beauty, Soma."

Reveria was staring at Loki with her eyes half closed, with no notion where the goddess was going with this. Loki, however, didn't care, and continued her story.

"One of those fated meetings, I guess you could call it? It was love at first taste! Some _Familia_ made it, but I didn't care. Went 'round Orario, buyin' Soma left 'n' right…But while I was doin' that, I heard somethin' very interestin'."

"Something interesting…?"

"Can ya wrap yer head 'round this, Eina? This wine is defective, a failure."

_Wha…_Eina remembered Bell saying he heard that from Lilly.

Loki's smile grew deeper.

"Makes ya wonder, don't it? A failure that's this good? What about the successes, huh? I had ta know. Found my way to _Soma Familia_'s home base by myself."

Eina was shocked and Reveria looked down on Loki with disgust. While the two gods weren't exactly enemies, a god going directly into another's territory was almost an open invitation for an attack.

Even the gods had manners. While part of this was to protect personal information, there was no reason for a member of one _Familia_ to go waltzing into another's home.

"Went up ta the porch, yellin' 'SOMA! Marry me! I'm beggin' ya!' But I was ignored, ta the point of gettin' lonely…I was gettin' ticked off, so I went inside without askin'."

Eina rubbed her fingers up and down her temple as though she had a bad headache.

However, _Soma Familia_'s lack of resistance to an intruder added to her curiosity about the members themselves.

"Place was totally silent. Not a single child anywhere. This is their home, y'know? Why'd everyone be out at the same time? I could tell somethin' wasn't right, and it gave me the chills…But I ignored it and perked up a bit. Went snoopin' 'round the whole place."

"…"

"I implore you, Loki. Do not reveal any more embarrassing information."

"Ge-hee-hee, you're no fun, Reveria. Anyway, couldn't find the real Soma anywhere. Finally got to the point o' gettin' fed up with it, turn ta go home…and there he was, that idiot himself."

Loki lowered her head as if remembering every detail of that meeting. Her smile vanished.

"I let out a big friendly 'Hey, there!' and that idiot responded with only 'Welcome.' Nothin' else. It was our first time meetin', y'know? Hardly ever looked at me, either, just stood there with a hoe in his hand. Was tendin' ta his garden. Only heard 'bout this later, but he grows all the ingredients fer his wine. Ah, nothin' too alarmin' goes in, though."

Loki continued to refill and drink the wine even while telling her story. Her bright pink cheeks were getting redder by the minute.

The tone of her voice went up.

"This Soma god…really pissed me off."

"Huh?"

"Tried talkin' 'bout everythin', but all he did was answer 'yeah' or 'hmm' and kept on hoein'…He was implyin' that his shit-filled fertilizer was above me."

Just talking about this memory made Loki's gaze grow more and more serious.

Eina was damp with sweat.

"That god was nothin' more than an indecisive, pitiful coward. But he acted like I was some dumb scarecrow and ignored me…Makin' me sick just thinkin' 'bout it!"

"…"

"On top o' that, Einy, on top o' that!"

"E-Einy…?"

"Overlookin' all of that, all of his rudeness and whatnot, I still asked ta taste the real 'Soma,' bein' real polite and everythin'! Even bowed ta him! Me! What ya think that idiot's answer was?"

Since Loki hadn't sensed any kind of hard feelings from Soma, she thought there was a chance she could try the good stuff—if not a full bottle, then at least a cup or two. However, Soma finally stopped working and turned to Loki for the first time and said:

"I refuse."

Apparently that was the first time he had shown any kind of emotion.

"Geeyahh! He's supposed ta be on my side, but that kinda tone pissed me off more than ever!"

"Loki, get a hold of yourself. Stop going off on tangents and get to the point."

"Hee-hee-hee." Loki took a few quick, deep breaths to calm down before her face relaxed. She sank back into the sofa.

"Sorry, sorry. Beat 'round the bush a bit, but I asked that idiot about his _Familia_. When I asked, what he said made me sick, that idiot. He's got absolutely no clue how to run a _Familia_, no sense at all. Like his heart wasn't in it from the start."

Eina's thin eyebrows flicked up.

_His heart wasn't in it from the start…?_

Well then, what was his goal? Eina had a new train of thought take off in her mind.

"Eina, don't be thinkin' too hard on it, y'know? The god known as Soma has only one thing in his skull: his hobby. Plenty o' those types, right? Their head's so far in the clouds, they can't see nothin' else. That idiot is case number one, the ultimate example. Not barbaric or evil, just purely livin' fer his craft. A god o' pure amusement. Guess you could say he's the wise ol' hermit of the gods—ha-ha!" joked Loki.

There were many strange and usual personalities among the gods, but Soma was weird even among them.

At least that was the impression Eina was picking up from Loki.

"Now, the problem is that wine, Soma. That idiot made his _Familia_ for one reason only: his hobby. But they weren't bringin' in enough money. Not enough ta support his pastime, anyway—makin' wine's expensive, yeah? Couldn't keep it goin'. What little brain he had told him to give them a 'prize.' Somethin' really special—a trigger ta get them ta work harder."

"Don't tell me…"

"Yep, that Soma. The good stuff, yeah?"

A drop of wine from her last swig started to roll down Loki's lip. She licked it up a second later.

"Eina, ya drank the failure, so ya probably know, but the real stuff isn't playin' 'round. It _takes_ ya. Not talkin' 'bout getting hammered outta yer mind, now. The deepest part of yer soul, the spirit, gets taken. Like it takes hold of the mind and body, like they're not yer own."

_Whoosh._ A sudden chill ran through Eina.

She thought back to the warm, elated feeling she got from drinking the failure before.

Her senses had been swept away by the wine, in a good way. Her spirits had been lifted.

Something even more euphoric than that?

Goose bumps quietly erupted on her skin beneath her suit.

Loki then said, "Maybe if I put it like this, you'll get it easier," as a way of leading into her next sentence.

"The children who follow him aren't there fer the idiot, but the Soma itself."

Members of that group weren't worshipping a god, but divine wine.

That meant that the reason Soma Familia had more members than the god Soma's reputation would allow was because their spirits were taken by the wine he gave them.

His followers had fallen in love with wine that could give them more happiness than anything else with as little as one sip.

"That idiot is a real monster. He's not gettin' help from members with Enigma, he's just growin' ingredients, mixin' 'em, and brewin' them himself. That idiot has driven his hobby ta utter perfection."

It suddenly came to Eina.

Part of the reason Loki referred to Soma as "that idiot" was out of fear and awe.

"He ain't usin' 'our' power, either. He's usin' the same abilities as his children, maybe even less, ta make somethin' like that. Can ya believe that? In other words, human hands can make the wine o' the gods. It's, like, what the hell'd he do up in Tenkai, right?"

"Hmm, I think I see the gist of your story. The god Soma uses his wine as bait to lure in members…"

"Yep, that's right. Once the members knew the flavor of Soma, they did anything they could ta get money. While I did call it a 'prize,' not everyone in the Familia gets an equal share. On top o' issuin' a quota, the idiot only gives the highest earners the good stuff. That Familia is at war with itself. Ah, yeah, those who fill the quota get a sip, most likely."

Loki racked her brain, trying to remember. However, Eina had a realization.

This was why the Soma Familia members she sometimes saw at the Guild were obsessed with money.

They were thirsty for Soma.

"The more I hear about this, the more it sounds like a dangerous drug. Is it acceptable to let this continue?"

"Might just be my bad choice of words. The spirit 'gets stolen,' but yer brain doesn't go up in smoke like that other stuff. Ya don't go mad, just feel really good. Makes yer whole body tremble. Makes ya want ta take another sip, no matter what. But, just like with normal alcohol, that feeling will go away."

Loki explained the difference between Soma and drugs like this:

There was no withdrawal with Soma. Its addictive qualities were not particularly strong.

Since Soma's followers' condition was only temporary, everyone would return to normal in time.

However, in the case of _Soma Familia_, members were given their next drink before the effects of the first dose had worn off. They were stuck in a hellish cycle.

"Can you explain what you meant by the addictive period being short?"

"Well then, there are loads o' children who have tasted Soma but got cut off and managed ta recover, right?"

To add to that, it appeared that even Soma drinkers became tolerant of it over time. The strongest members of _Soma Familia_ were almost always at the top, and therefore received the wine all the time. However, somehow they could drink it without their spirits being stolen, and stay normal.

_Come to think of it_, thought Eina, _of all the members of_ Soma Familia _who demand money at the Exchange, the ones who have reached Level Two are always much calmer and more collected._

"To sum it all up fer ya, the leadership of a careless idiot obsessed with his hobby, the allure of Soma, and the members cravin' fer it all mix together ta make the craziness that infects _Soma Familia_."

Normally, if the god at the top of a _Familia_ had real interest in it, things wouldn't turn out this way.

This was because if the one who empowered everyone raised their voice, the _Familia_ would fall silent. If they didn't, they would be stripped of their Falna.

All this information seemed to indicate that, although he was not at fault for the current conditions, Soma himself was responsible for setting them in motion and not putting them to an end.

"That's all there is ta it, Eina. Anythin' else ya wanna ask?"

"No, that's all. Thank you very much for your time."

Eina understood what was happening at _Soma Familia_.

While their craving for that special wine was a bit scary on its own, this was a case of her being too focused on appearances.

Eina came to this conclusion because their yearning for alcohol and large amounts of money were not much different from other adventurers trying to strike it rich quick in the Dungeon. The only scary part of it was how they chose to reach their goal.

However, according to Loki's explanation, this was only a risk for part of the _Familia_, not every member. The supporter whom Bell had hired sounded as though she was perfectly normal, by the way he described her last time they talked.

A feeling of relief flowed through her as Eina deduced that it was highly unlikely that Bell would be thrust into a life-threatening scenario.

Loki watched her carefully and, upon seeing the look of relief on her face, opened her eyes a little wider.

"Eina."

"Yes?"

"Do ya know what happens ta donkeys that have a carrot hung in front of 'em but can never reach it?"

Eina was dazed by this sudden, strange question.

Loki stuck out all of the fingers on both hands one by one and continued without waiting for Eina's answer.

"The weaker ones get run over as the stronger ones go fer the others' carrots, kickin' and thrashin' their competition outta the way."

At first, Eina was confused. The answer dawned on her a moment later.

"That's what's happenin' at that _Familia_. All the idiot does is hang carrots. Nothin' can stop them now."

Then Loki folded all of her fingers together, expect for the pinkie on her right hand.

"There might be a donkey that doesn't care how many times it gets kicked down by its 'allies.' One who can't do nothin' alone…but in exchange skillfully spurs sympathy and pity from a different 'master.' A smart, uncompromisin' donkey."

The face reflected in Loki's vermillion eyes suddenly tensed. Eina's face.

"The new master might realize his carrots are gone, yeah?"

Loki sat up to peer into Eina's eyes, sliding all the way into the sofa.

Pouring what little was left of the wine into Eina's glass, Loki continued:

"Just thinkin'. If ya got a friend connected with one of 'em, ya might wanna let 'im know, just in case? Don't think it'll be serious, but there might be some problems. Gotta take care o' adventurers at the Guild, yeah?" said Loki, crossing her legs and grinning.

She had seen through Eina. Loki was truly worthy of the title of goddess.

Eina took a slow breath and nodded with a very concerned look on her face.

"Sayin' it outta kindness might not be my place, though."

"…No. I'm taking your advice to heart."

She was a good goddess.

Loki was much more compassionate than her reputation indicated. Either that or Eina was getting special treatment because of her relationship to Reveria.

Feeling Eina's gaze on her, Loki flashed another grin.

"All right, the wine's gone. Shall we go our separate ways?"

"I apologize for taking this much of your time."

"Don't worry 'bout it. Glad I got ta chat with the cute little beauty Eina."

"A-ha-ha-ha…"

Loki stood up from the sofa and stretched out as high as she could before going over to the one person who was silent this whole time: Aiz.

"Hey, Aiz. How long ya gonna beat yerself up?"

"…"

"'Kay, then, how 'bout updatin' yer status? Haven't done it since ya been back, yeah?"

"…Okay."

"Fu-hee-hee, been a long time since I got my hands on Aiz's soft skin…!"

"Do anything else and I'll slice you."

"Huh?! Ya serious?"

Aiz's harsh tone made Loki crouch down slightly as the two of them left the reception room. Just before turning the corner, Loki looked back at the elves, winked, and gave a quick wave.

"She's…an interesting goddess."

"I am inclined to agree that she is interesting, but she's much more. We have a lot of faith in her."

"You too, Lady Reveria?"

"Yes, me included."

Eina giggled to herself, looking at Reveria's closed-eyed half smile.

Eina picked up her glass from the table and drank what was left.

_Tomorrow, I wonder if I'll have a chance to talk with Bell._

Loki's warning was still fresh in her mind. The Soma tasted a little bitter on Eina's tongue.

"AIZUU'S A LEVEL SIIIIIIIIIIX!" Loki suddenly yelled.

"PFFFTT—"

"…Eina."

"Aaaaaagh! I'm so sorry!"

* * *

"Lady Reveria, it wasn't necessary for you to accompany me to the Guild."

"It's okay Eina, besides we who knows if we even cross paths again in future or not."

The sun almost sets in, after gaining information about the Soma Familia, Eina makes her way to the guild. Not letting the chance to talk with her, Reveria also joined her on her way.

"Ah― there you are Eina!"

A familiar voice calls the guild advisor. Both of the elfess looked at the person who called her up.

"Where have you been, you were not in the guil― uh…"

Bell was paused to see Eina with Nine-Hells (or say mother Reveria)

"Bell?"

"Oh mother Reveria, uh… am I interrupting something?"

Eina was dumbstruck to hear the word 'Mother' in the statement, bursting out from emotions she asked him: "M-Mother Reveria?"

"Uwa―"

"Calm down Eina"

"Bu-Bu-Bu-Bu― HOW COULD YOU CALL HER THAT BELL!?"

"LET ME EXPLAIN WILL YA!"

…

"Oh… I see, so that's how it is."

Eina calmed herself down. Bell explained the whole story of him crossing paths with Reveria. He didn't tell her that he was 'mind downed' on the fifth floor and made sure Reveria doesn't tell her how they actually met.

After the confusions were cleared, Reveria coughed up and asked: "So is this the adventurer you are looking after?"

"Ah, yes he is."

"Uh… what is going on here?... Eina?"

Bell raised an eyebrow after rolling his eyes from Riveria to Eina.

"Bell… it's about that supporter of yours…"

"Hm―"

"Well you see, _Soma Familia is…"_

Eina hesitantly tells Bell, Reveria also looking at her with concern. But before Eina could complete Bell cuts her off.

"Is a familia where an Idiot god lives only to make wines for a living, am I right?"

With his answer both the girls were surprised. Reveria, who didn't even know about them, was amazed that this boy knew about the familia beforehand. Eina on same state of disbelief, her words were completely stuck in her tongue.

"Sorry Eina, but I went there…"

"Wait, went there? TO SOMA FAMILIA?!"

Her body trembled, just imagining him going to the familia which is only devoted to Soma. It is dangerous for him to even try to barge into an enemy familia.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO―"

"Look I know you are concerned about me, but this is my fight now."

"Your fight?"

Reveria raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, and I thought so you would be looking for info on Soma familia. Your friend Misha told me that you left the guild way too early."

"..."

"Look, rest easy. I can handle myself waay better than you think of me."

He softly tapped Eina's shoulder and gave a bright smile cheering her up.

"So what are you going to do about your supporter?"

Eina asked in concern, Bell took his hand back and faced towards the sunset saying only one thing to them...

"She needs someone to save her…"

* * *

The moon came out, and then the sky brightened as the sun rose once again, heralding a new day.

I'm usually still at home at this hour, but today I've come to Babel Tower.

While Lilly and I were in the Dungeon yesterday, I couldn't get the words of the man who'd tried to capture Lilly out of my head. I'd been on edge, and I could tell it was making Lilly uneasy.

I didn't want to worry her, so I didn't tell her the details, but I could still tell she was worried—she'd kept stealing glances at me with a nervous, desolate expression as I looked out for anything unusual.

"…"

I invited her out here so early to try and protect her from this mess. So here I am, just staring at the blue sky. I have nothing to do until Lilly arrives, so my mind wanders off into a conversation I had with the goddess last night.

Once I got home from the Dungeon, I told her everything I knew about Lilly and her situation.

My plan was to have her live with us under the church until I was sure the danger had passed—once I had explained everything to the goddess, anyway.

"Bell, is this supporter worthy of your trust?"

"Huh?"

She listened quietly to every word, and then she slowly asked that question.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just from what you have told me, I'm not accusing her of anything, so don't give me that look…I just can't help but think she was somehow involved because..."

"You are overthinking again?"

"It's just…"

"Hestia, Lily is a good person. She is just trapped in darkness. And that darkness was given by those adventurers who work only to get that stupid wine."

"..."

"You know it too don't you?"

Hestia gave out a big sigh : "You are right…"

She gives a weak smile and asks.

"What are you planning to do for her?"

"Let her do as she wants, when the time comes I will handle the situation myself."

His confidant smile relieved Hestia and so the night passed by.

…

…

"Hm—"

Someone grabs my shoulder as if they're trying to get in my way. I spin out of it in a surprised reflex and turn to face the grabber.

It's a male adventurer. A human with black hair, excellent physique, and a longsword strapped to his back.

…_Wait a second, isn't he…?_

"Heh, yer that kid from before…Don't matter, got a question for ya: Ya working with that runt over there?"

That voice, that tone…No doubt about it. He's the man I met in the alleyway.

"Oi! Haven't got all day! Did ya hire that supporter or not?"

"…ya so what?"

I can tell he's pissed off just by looking at his eyes, but I still give him that answer. Part of it might just have been a reflex.

"Say ya wanna make a deal with me?"

"What deal?"

"You will help me get the runt, and I will help you get whatever you want. How is that?"

"..."

"Hey make it quick."

"Just leave asshole," I shrugged off his grip.

"What didcha say!?"

The man Grabbed me by the collar, sneering his eyes at me, "What didcha say punk!?"

"..."

I let myself calm, and gave a stern stare to him. Miraculously my aura made him shake in his boots and let me go, he ran away saying he will get back at me later.

_Seriously… what an Ass._

"Mr. Bell?"

"Oh— you are finally here."

"Yes master Bell, shall we go then?"

"Yup let's go!"

...

_Now just to wait for the right moment..._


End file.
